Super Nova
by WolfyMagician
Summary: In an alternate universe, our beloved toys are teenagers who go to Sunside High. They struggle with the cruelty of being love-struck as well as confused. And just being teens trying to survive life. A new adventure awaits!  Disclaimer: I own nothing
1. Chapter 1

_**Super Nova**_

**Hey guys! Ok, this fic is based on Toy Story characters and some of their plots and ideas. This takes place in an alternate universe, so forget all the cute toy goodness for now! Hehehe. This will mostly be Jessie/Buzz and a little of Woody/Bo. Maybe others as well. This is my first Toy Story fic, and I apologize if it is pretty OOC. But, I'm trying to imagine them as people with human charasteristics. Yeah... Ok, on to the story. Reviewing would be nice.**

_Ages:_

_Buzz, Jessie, Emily-14_

_Woody, Bo-16_

* * *

"Buzz Lightyear, reporting for—"

"Enough, son, I need to talk to you..."

A young man, dressed in a relatively formal long-sleeved shirt stood, abashed, at his father. Not once had he interrupted his morning salute and speech. Something must have happened.

"Yes, father?" Buzz said, trying not to sound too taken-aback. He kept eye-contact with his head held high and his posture sharp.

His father, Zurg, sighed, resting his head on the arm of the chair he was on. There were really some days when he thought his son was overdoing...well, everything! He was too eager, too much of a perfectionist, and although he shouldn't be complaining for having such a gifted boy...sometimes Zurg wished his son would act more like the other teenagers at the time. At least, not in _that_ school anyway. What were they teaching the future generation? From kindergarten until senior year...that school taught nothing less than cold, hard discipline. And to treat others the same.

Which is exactly why he made his decision. _The boy needed a change._ He needed to be the kid he never was.

"Son...you will be attending school at Sunside High School starting tomorrow."

* * *

"Hurry up, Woody!" Jessie yelled from the doorway, halfway through finishing her toast. She glanced at the clock by the piano and stomped her foot angrily. She was sure her brother would've gotten used to waking up early for school, having attended the place for two years already. She was the one who should be running late! After all, it was her first year. "Oh, great, I'm leaving," she told him when he finally stumbled downstairs frantically brushing his hair and putting his jacket on. He quickly snatched two pieces of toast from the table and ran out the door after his sister, slamming the door shut behind them. He almost forgot to lock the door until he was painfully reminded with a whack to the head by Jessie's bag. "Let's go, we'll be late again."

"Okay, okay, we're going, Jess," Woody muttered, rubbing the back of his now-aching head. He trudged on beside his sister, distracted.

"What took you? I thought I woke you up early!"

"I know, you did. I woke up after that..."

Jessie looked at her brother with worried eyes. He sounded so depressed and moody. He was frowning for no reason, and she could tell he was waging war with something in his mind. Still, he looked so nervous and upset. When she questioned him about his strange behavior, he just became defensive and self-conscious. "Nothing's wrong."

_Liar._ "Oh, yes there is," Jessie retorted, looking knowingly at Woody's hazel eyes. He blinked and nodded shamefully.

"What is it?"

"Uh...well, can you keep a secret?"

"Maybe..." came Jessie's sing-song voice, looking at the white, puffy clouds above. She grinned.

"Oh. Well, okay...uhm, you know Bo? The student body president?"

"You mean Emily's sister? Oh, yeah."

"Well, she recently broke up with her boyfriend, right? Uhm, Ken, I think." With that in his mind, Woody looked about ready to skip to school. He seemed elated as he walked dreamily by his sister.

"_Ooh, _I get it. You have a crush on her, huh?" Jessie had her signature grin on, playfully slapping her brother's arm in mock surprise. Woody rolled his eyes and hit her back, but just as jokingly. "Right. So...I want to ask her out. But then again, she's so popular and pretty—'

"Woody, you're just as popular! I've seen you. But as for pretty," she smirked mischievously, "you might need help on that." The two continued their play fight all the way to school. Sunside High School.

After crossing the gate to the campus, they said their goodbyes before hurrying to class. Woody, being a junior, went to the buildings to the left, specifically for the older students. Jessie ran towards several, smaller buildings on the right side for freshmen and sophomores. She caught up with her best friend, Emily, who also seemed to be running late. They chatted rather quickly, as the bells were about to ring. Unfortunately, the two did not share the first period classes and had to go separate ways before even managing small talk. Jessie slipped inside her class, English, before the teacher arrived. Lucky for her, it was Mr. Hamm teaching and he almost always came in late. Upon entering the classroom, she found that barely half her classmates were even there. Obviously they were taking advantage of the teacher's lack of organization skills to get a few more minutes worth of gossip and insults done between each other. Jessie chose her usual seat at the back where no one could call on her. She did not have any friends in this particular class. Not yet, anyway. She was still adjusting to the new faces.

Thirty minutes in, Jessie sighed, defeated, her face buried in her arms on the wooden desk in front of her. Her loose braid hung over her shoulder carelessly, the beautiful shade of red sparkling as the sunlight from the window touched it. Mr. Hamm had just set everyone to read five pages from their textbook and discuss it with the person sitting next to them, and the redhead was the first to finish. Her 'discussion partner' was a nosy, geeky boy who seemed to believe he knew just about _everything _in classic literature. Although Jessie had supposedly finished reading first, he insisted that she simply did not read the passage _thoroughly_ and refused to discuss anything with someone who did not even understand the story. Jessie ended up ignoring the boy, making a mental note to never sit next to him again. Just as he was rambling about how Romeo and Juliet died to himself (he thought everyone was listening) the boy behind him cleared his throat loudly. Jessie was still half asleep in her arms and did not hear this, so she continued to inwardly complain about the whole class. The dumb classmates. The dumb subject. The dumb teacher...

"Excuse me," the boy who had interrupted the annoying geek said, his voice sharp and serious, "but will you be as kind as to quiet down? If you have not noticed yet, we are all trying to accomplish our work. And we do not need further distractions."

The boy beside Jessie blushed scarlet and stopped babbling almost instantly. He obviously did not want to start a fight with someone who looked about ready to hit him. Jessie, hearing the sudden silence, lifted her head from her arms and looked beside her in surprise and relief. Her partner looked embarrassed and was facing straight ahead, his face an interesting shade of red. Some of her classmates were whispering and pointing to the boy behind him. She craned her neck so she could look at the one everyone was talking about and she stopped short when she saw him.

He was reading, alert and focused, and seemed completely oblivious to the stares and whispers around him. He had short, blondish-brown hair that shone as brilliantly as her own. His eyes were a breathtaking shade of light blue, but also mixed with a little green. He sat up straight, unlike most that were either slumped on their desks as Jessie had or leaning back casually on their chairs. His face was calm and yet intriguing all the same. For some reason, Jessie couldn't help but stare, a weird sensation building up in her stomach area. She wanted to look away, truly she did, but it was if there was a magnetic force pulling her gaze and her whole attention to the boy. _'Where have I seen him before?_' wondered Jessie, _'I haven't. Weird. But, he wasn't here during the first few days of school! I'd have noticed...who wouldn't?'_

She must have looked stupid, staring at a person she didn't even know for so long. Everyone already stopped; they were too busy chatting with one another or finishing up reading the text. Yet, she couldn't take her eyes of him. She didn't know what she was feeling, but she was beginning to enjoy it. She felt warm and bubbly inside, but much more than usual. It was different...

He looked up suddenly and met Jessie's gaze. She jumped slightly in shock, but managed to force a smile. She could feel her cheeks burning up and she desperately wanted to disappear from the classroom. To her surprise, the boy smiled back. He leaned towards her slightly and said, "Hello."

Jessie froze on the spot. What was she going to say? What if she said something unbelievably stupid? "Oh. Uhm, hello.." _Darn_ it. She was not usually this shy. Heck, she couldn't even remember one time she was as quiet as now.

"I'm sorry if that boy-" he nodded towards the teen in front of him, "-was bothering you. I could hear him; he wasn't exactly discussing much with you, was he?"

Jessie finally smiled and nodded. "Yeah, thanks for quieting him up." She grinned.

"No problem," replied the boy calmly, looking around the class. The teacher still did not appear ready to further their 'discussions' anytime soon. He looked back to the girl near him and smiled. "My name's Buzz."

Jessie, who had been trying to think of a reason to look away, smiled once more. Buzz was his name. "I'm Jessie."

"Jessie," repeated the boy, nodding thoughtfully. It was quiet for a moment between them. Jessie thought it was awkward, but Buzz didn't seem to mind. Finally, Jessie blurted out, "How come I've never seen you 'round?" She seemed surprised at her own daring to start a conversation. When Buzz looked at her in a funny way, she immediately regretted saying anything. To her surprise, he answered with a grin. "I'm new. I just transferred today."

"Oh," was all Jessie could say.

"Yeah..." Another awkward silence.

"Uhm, do you like the school so far?" Why was she so nervous? Why? This had never before been a problem to her! Sure, there were guys every now and then she'd date. Yeah, she had a few boyfriends. But they never lasted.

And she didn't want the hurt to come back.

"Oh, it's fine. This is my first class...so I guess I like the school from where I'm standing." He looked at her energetically. His eyes seemed to blaze with something she'd never seen in a person before. Everything was so different about him, compared with everyone else, of course.

"That's good-"

"Okay, everyone, pack up. The bell is about to ring." Mr. Hamm looked at his students expectantly, as though he had taught them life-changing lessons instead of assigning five pages worth of literature and a chance to chat amongst themselves. Buzz and Jessie were caught off from their conversation as they put away their belongings. As she crammed her book in her bag, she noticed that Buzz had a laptop case with him. Obviously, he was one of the rich kids since only they brought fancy items such as laptops and high-end phones to school. Nobody else could afford those. Suddenly, all the affection she had for the new kid washed away as she grabbed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. When the bell rang, she marched straight out of class without a backwards glance at Buzz. She didn't even notice that he was watching her the whole time during her sudden departure, or the frown on his face.

Jessie walked, angered, into the hallway and towards her locker. Her mind was too occupied to pay attention to her surroundings. Buzz was a rich boy. She hated snobby rich kids. A memory, and a lesson, was enough for her hate anybody who even reminded her of them. Them. Al and Pete. They were supposedly her and Woody's cousins. People they could trust with anything. Any secret. After their parents died, Woody and Jessie were sent to their aunt's house. She was relatively nice to them, since their mom was her twin. For years, they grew up with Al and Pete. They learned to bike together, they went to the same schools, they found out new things with each other's company. They were practically all siblings. Their aunty was very rich; therefore her children were as well. When Jessie was ten, her cousins began to drift away from her and Woody. At their old school, rich kids were prized beyond the rest, and were treated much differently. Soon Al and Pete got caught up with the new treatments and they started to hang out with the popular, rich kids such as themselves. They begun to completely ignore Jessie and Woody, to the point where once they entered campus, they were no longer related. Or even know each other, for that matter. At first, the two didn't mind. After all, they hoped their cousins would change. They did, but for the worst. One day, as Jessie and Woody entered the hallway, happily teasing each other, they were approached by the popular kids, including Al and Pete. They were made fun of for being orphans, something they never told anyone. Obviously their cousins got a little generous with information. Who knew what they let out? Woody was obviously trying not to tackle Al to the ground, and Jessie felt tears stinging the corners of her eyes. The 'popular' crowd got bigger, and more people pointed, laughed, and edged their cousins on. She distinctly heard the chants of "Orphans!" from every direction. Finally, Pete said the worst. Something she'd never forget.

_"Hey, Jess, where's your mama now? What did you use tell me about her? She was the bestest friend you'd ever had, right? Oh, not to mention your father! Hahaha, you practically broke down whenever I mentioned his name!" Laughter from the crowd. "Didn't you name your teddy 'Dada'? Or did you really make Woody here your new daddy? Aw, is dada's wittle girl gonna cwy?"_ Jessie was behind her brother, trying to stop the constant flow of tears. She was hoping a teacher would come. Anyone. But everything just continued.

There was more to Pete's taunts. It was just too painful to remember now. That was why she and Woody lived on their own, their aunty checking in on them every now and then. She had given the two a large amount of money and bought them their current house. It was small, but she enjoyed it fairly well. Woody was all she had left, besides their aunt. After that incident, her brother suddenly grew up ten years. He became more mature and loving. He stopped spending time with friends and more with her. He became her dad that day.

And she could never thank him enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Hey guys! I'm sorry for the wait. It was the weekend and all the fireworks...yeah... So, this is the next part of Super Nova! Heh. One good thing of being out so long is that the free time I have is dedicated to writing more, so chapter 3 is on the way. Hopefully, I'll be able to post it up soon. Also, thank you for the reviews! I really appreciate some feedback. I hope you'll tell me what you think of the story so far! Now, on to chapter 2.**

_Ages:_

_Jessie, Buzz, Emily - 14_

_Woody, Bo-16_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

"Hello! Earth to Jessie!"

The sound of Emily's loud, slightly irritated voice caused Jessie to jump up in surprise and hit the open locker door above her. She looked at her friend accusingly, but she just received a wary shrug. "Geez, Jess, you've been out of it since first period! What, did someone call you loud and annoying again?" Emily grinned, daring the other girl to start another 'argument.' Jessie just shrugged and looked absently at her locker as though she needed to get something from inside. When she was questioned about her silence, the redhead replied with a too-calm, "I'm looking for my book." Emily followed her friend's gaze and sighed, knocking on her locker door saying, "You haven't even opened it up." Jessie looked surprised for a moment, but it was once again replaced with the blank stare she wore ever since the bell rang. Ever since first period.  
_  
'It's nothing,'_ Jessie told herself for the umpteenth time, _'I'm just tired is all...'_ She then wondered why she couldn't repeat that to anyone who asked. Not even Emily...

The bell rang, causing Jessie's head to snap up. Shoot, she was going to be late! Her class was in the next building! She got up, grabbed her books, and ran to the door leading outside. "Bye, Milly," she called over her shoulder to her friend, but not really looking at her. Her next class...she hoped _he_ wouldn't be there. There was a slim chance he would, but the school was so big that you'd be lucky to have someone share more than one class with you. Chances are they would be your classmate for only one period the whole school year. You're more than likely never going to see them again. With that thought, Jessie loosened up and smiled, walking much more energetically to her class.

It was math class. The only class Jessie seemed to struggle in. Sure, she'd get recommendations for Honors, but only in English and Science classes. She was the top of her gym class and she could play the violin pretty decently. Well, that's how she saw it, despite the teacher's many comments on her being _'quite a successful musician'_ and _'the best violinist I've had in any of my classes.'_ Quote and quote.

Math was horrible for the poor girl. When everyone nodded in agreement to the equation, she just looked around bewildered and desperately asked her friends for the notes. When the teacher explained the problem thoroughly enough, she'd raise her hand and ask for the problem to be repeated again, but in a slower pace. She would get a lot of annoyed looks since everyone else was ready to move on. It was a nightmare. Luckily for her, the teacher assigned simple math packets for each student. Apparently, it went over all past math standards and would alert the student (and and teacher, of course) on what he or she needed to work on. The blackboard had all directions for what to do after the evaluation test. It said to either read quietly or complete extra credit assignments, and that the test will probably take the whole period for most people. Jessie nodded, feeling a little bit more confident than usual, hoping that the test would not challenge her so much.

Halfway through the packet, Jessie began to lose her focus. The test was multiple choice and simple enough. She didn't need to show work or anything. But the word problems were so long and so boring. Jessie found herself re-reading the same paragraph over and over again until she realized the answer was already stated. She looked up and was surprised to find barely any time had passed. She still had half an hour left and she was almost finished. Just a few more...

_...how much laptops will Bill need to sell to break even?_

For some reason, Jessie saw Buzz's face where the answer choices of A, B, C, and D were supposed to be. She smiled absentmindedly, circling the letter 'B.' _B for Buzz..._ Wait, no! The answer was 'C'! C for cat! Jessie quickly erased her marking and hurriedly circled the correct letter. What was wrong with her? She never, not in her life, felt this way towards any guy. Not even towards her past _boyfriends._ For some reason, there was something about Buzz that intrigued her. She wanted to hate him, but couldn't. Why? She was _sure _it was best if she didn't see him anymore.

Jessie was well aware of the danger of trusting someone too much. She knew the risks if—when—they turn on you. The only ones you can trust are your family. Your real family, not just some relatives on your mom or dad's side. To her, family was Woody. And only him.

Buzz was not to be trusted. At least, not his kind. All rich people cared about was money. Cold, hard cash. She knew that all too well. Jessie heard the chants of _"Orphans!"_ echoing through her ears, as though her classmates were saying the twisted word. But it was just a memory. A painful, horrible memory. It was because of that memory that she would stay away from the new kid and cut him from her life. She wouldn't even think of him! She won't let him distract her from school and friends. Or her Woody. It was weird, she didn't even know him and he had already affected her life so much. How could one person do that in such a short amount of time? No more Buzz. Not unless she wanted to cry over being hurt inside again. And she didn't need to ever feel that way anymore.

* * *

"Ugh, why did I even take Musical Arts? I can't even understand half of what they want!" Emily whined, poking angrily at her mashed potato. Lunch time was one of Jessie's favorite during the whole school day. It was when you could take a break from hours of studying and testing, free to chat with your friends or relax under the shady trees. Eating was a must, but that only took a little less than half the lunch hour. After that, you could do whatever you please (as long as the school allows it). Jessie enjoyed how she could forget about everything else just for a moment when she was having fun with her friends. A perfect opportunity to forget about _him._

At the thought of the new boy, Jessie shook her head fiercely, gritting her teeth. _'Don't even think about him.'_ She vaguely thought that it was impossible. In her obvious concentration to forget Buzz, she did not even hear Emily talking to her. "So what do you have today Jess? Jessie?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you back from your happy place yet?"

"Huh? What?"

"Oh, nevermind..."

"No, no, I heard you. Uhm, I have double Science."

"Ooh. Did you take chemistry or Earth?"

"Earth," Jessie sighed. She seriously did not feel like talking about classes in her free time. Oh well... At least she didn't struggle so much in Science. She was relatively good in that class, to the point where the teacher doesn't even ask her if she had any trouble with anything. It was one of those very few classes where you actually don't mind showing up for. Where you actually have fun.

Well, hopefully...

* * *

Jessie sat, once more, at the back of the classroom. Double science was her last period for the day. After that, she could go home with Woody and they could resume their play fights. She hoped that her brother had a better chance at romance than she did today.

"Hello, class, please get your books out while we wait for the rest of us to get here." Their teacher, Mr. Rex (as he goes by), called upon entering the classroom. He was a good teacher, but he sometimes got too jittery out of nerves and he had low self-esteem. To be fair, he knew a lot about his subject and was eager to teach anyone who was willing to learn. He was one of Jessie's favorite teachers. She quietly took out her science book, as well as her notebook and a pencil. When she was bored, Jessie would doodle. And she'd doodle just about anything. Her favorites were a nice, open pasture filled with lively animals such as horses, dogs, and bunny rabbits. She just loved animals. As she dreamily gazed around the classroom, Jessie's thoughts were interrupted by a familiar looking face. She did a double-take, disbelievingly staring at the person who had just entered the classroom.

_Buzz._

For some reason, Jessie found her heart rate going quicker than usual. She felt blood rising, involuntarily, to her cheeks and she looked pointedly at the blackboard. _'This is not happening to me.'_ From the corner of her eye, she could see Buzz looking around for an empty seat. Part of Jessie (the crazy side) wanted him to sit by her, right at the desk next to her own. The more mature, logical side of Jessie wanted him to stay away. She didn't know which sounded more appealing. To her surprise, and slight annoyance, he spotted Jessie and made his way towards the seat beside her. She continued to stare determinedly at the front of the room, not even taking anything in with her eyes. But she noticed every single one of Buzz's movements without even really looking at him. Strange.

He got to the desk, sitting casually on the wooden chair and placing his laptop case carefully under his desk. Jessie felt a surge of anger flow through her instantly, even though she had already calmed down. _'Stupid rich people,'_ she thought in disgust, _'why can't you guys just leave me alone?'_She was hoping that Buzz would ignore her for the whole class. That's definitely what she was hoping to do to him. Unfortunately, that wasn't in any of his intentions. "Hey," he said to her, smiling warmly, "nice to see you again. I guess we're classmates again, hmm?"

Jessie could tell he was looking straight at her, completely focused. She didn't know whether she should be happy or creeped out. However, she did not want Buzz to think she could be as low as him and act like a rude jerk to other people as though they were not worthy of her attention. So she smiled, a little easier than she hoped, nodding curtly at him. Buzz could obviously tell that something was bothering her, so he leaned in closer (to Jessie's embarrassment) and asked her what was so troubling. The girl didn't respond and instead looked away, pretending she couldn't hear the other teen. _'Heck, forget the whole 'nice' act.' _Buzz, surprised at her coldness, extended his arm to tap her shoulder, only to be interrupted by their teacher calling for the class's attention. He sheepishly pulled back, looking at the teacher a little less enthusiastically than he was at the beginning. Jessie inwardly kicked herself, hating the fact that she might have hurt another person's feelings. As much as she despised the rich kid Buzz, she couldn't stand knowing that she had made others feel down, even if by a little bit. She, too, turned distractedly at the teacher, barely understanding what he was saying.

"So today, we will begin the first science project for the year!" Groans from the class, including Jessie. She did not need work on top of everything else going on in her life. "But you get to work with partners—" at this, the class began to stir, people pointing at their friends and mouthing "You!" and getting a thumbs-up in reply. Jessie did not know who exactly she wanted to be partners with, but she would get a lot of choices considering her grade.

But—

"—however, I will be choosing your partners. Just so you know, they are the person sitting right next to you."

_"No!"_ Jessie hissed before she could stop herself, but so quietly that nobody else could hear her. Luckily, Buzz did not seem to pay any attention; he was too busy staring at the teacher, listening for the instructions. Jessie, however, heard nothing after the partner announcement. As she gazed blankly at a spot on her desk, she heard her Mr. Rex's voice from a million miles away:

"Ah, and lastly, Jessie and Buzz. Well, those are your partners, everyone!"

_Oh, no._

* * *

"So...uhm, Miss Jessie, what topic shall we cover?" Buzz asked with hesitation, looking nervously at his new partner. They had been given a choice of what geological feature they wanted to research and to write a detailed report on it. There were requirements, and as well as restrictions on how far the researches could get. All in all, it seemed like a fairly easy project. There was no deadline yet, but their teacher warned them to expect it to be in around two weeks or so. Mr. Rex also advised everyone to get some work done outside of school. _"That way,"_ as he had said, _"you could finish the work you would otherwise never have time for in class and earn a good grade!"  
_  
_Grade._ Jessie snapped back into reality and took a deep breath. That was what all this was. Another grade. Buzz was just another part of her project; an accessory, if you please. There was _nothing_ linking them together but mere a grade. No friendship, no relationship whatsoever. No nothing. That calmed her as well as hurt her. She must be nothing but a Science partner to the other teen as well. But that was a good thing, wasn't it? The redhead turned slightly, not making eye-contact just yet. As she stared into the front of her textbook she said, "I just want a good grade."

Buzz frowned for a moment, but then brightened almost immediately. He thought nothing of her grave expression or the emptiness of her voice. "Of course! I wouldn't ask more for the same thing."

"Yeah. So, let's get working..."

The boy nodded, "But what are we going to research?"

Jessie thought for a moment. She was good at Science...nothing should trouble her...but she wanted to keep everything simple. "How about rock formations?"

Buzz looked thoughtfully at Jessie (causing her to blush once more), thinking of all the information they could present. The more on the report, the better. "Okay. Sounds excellent."

"Good," said the other teen. Jessie wouldn't have changed the topic even if her partner had refused. After all, she hoped they were natural enemies...but being indifferent to him was just so hard! Why does it take so much to hate?

So, she and Buzz began work on their project; brainstorming, looking facts up, writing outlines. She kept distant at first, but as she and Buzz talked and shared, she felt herself relaxing. The butterflies in her stomach were like crazy at this point, and her blush managed to go away somewhat. Although she didn't want to admit it, she realized that Buzz seemed to be a really nice and friendly person. A very different personality that she had been expecting. He liked to joke around and make her laugh, but there was this air to his voice that you just couldn't help but look at him as some sort of leader. Jessie found all this most confusing. She built Buzz's character in her mind as a rude, ungrateful, spoiled rotten rich brat who felt superior above everyone else. Now, looking at the real Buzz, she felt a little guilty of letting stereotypes blinding her from what was the truth. Maybe he was a good guy after all. He could be a decent, honest young man. Just maybe...she'll give it one more shot.

Romance, that is.


	3. Chapter 3

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Heyy, another chapter. Weird, I usually take forever to update. Okay, so this one is kinda long, but not too much. Hope you like it!**

_Ages:_

_Jessie, Buzz - 14_

_Woody, Bo, Andy - 16_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 3**

"Great work today, everybody! I hope you all made a lot of progress. Oh, look at the time! I suggest you get ready to leave." People groaned, resting their heads on the tables that had been squished together with their partners. Several of the class was muttering about how useless the project was and how horrible their partner worked. Jessie herself sighed and shut her book, closing her eyes in exhaustion. That was almost three hours of non-stop researching and planning. Buzz seemed to be the only person who did not complain and, instead, he was straightening out the mess in his and Jessie's tables. The scratch paper and scraps of crossed-out ideas were recycled, and he organized the stacks of information-filled notes. Every single one of Jessie's belongings was neatly piled up on her desk and the same for her partner's. Buzz causally lifted his desk to return it back to its original position. When Jessie looked up, she found that their area, in contrast to others, looked as though they had not disrupted it at all. She was inwardly impressed, although she wouldn't admit it to the rich boy. This made him all the more different from what she had expected him to be; he was very good at cleaning up after himself! How much more was this real Buzz unlike the Buzz she was so sure he would be?

"Thanks," she muttered to him, fitting her belongings carefully in her bag. She did not trust herself to look into his glowing eyes just yet.

"You're welcome," came Buzz's reply, sounding slightly confused. "Hey, Jessie, maybe we should work on the project outside of class hours." He smiled hopefully, but refused to meet her gaze. Jessie almost dropped her notebook. _'He...he wants to meet me after school ends? Like...over at my house or something?'_ She looked awestruck at Buzz, but he was pretending to fuss over his laptop case. She was unusually unaffected with his wealth at the moment. Hesitantly, she finally answered him. "...yes, that would be a good idea..."

Although she couldn't see it since his back was turned, Buzz beamed, trying his best to remain his usual calm composure. Before either of them could do or say anything more, the final bell rang, signaling that everybody with no further business at the school should leave. The two walked out of the class together in awkward silence. Even the proud, outgoing Buzz couldn't help but feel the slight un-comfort in their wake. Meanwhile Jessie was panicking in her mind. _'Do something! Smile! Talk to him! __Now's__ your chance!'  
_  
"So," the girl finally began, blushing uncharacteristically (_'I've never blushed so much in one day!'_) at the embarrassment. "Do you want to, uhm..."

"Meet somewhere?" Buzz offered, fidgeting slightly. "Does the big library by the park sound nice?"

"S-sure..."

"Great! Then I'll meet you at the computers there tomorrow after school, alright? I have something to attend to later..."

"Oh, yeah, I'm pretty booked today, too. Erm, so 'round four-ish?"

Buzz nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "Deal."

Jessie herself was smiling, feeling very light-headed and excited. "Yeah." Here were the one-worded answers of hers again. She couldn't help but notice the many times she didn't reply with extended responses when talking to this particular guy. Usually, people tell her to quiet down and answer simply. What was wrong with her today? "Well, bye," she sighed when she found she couldn't stand the awkwardness anymore, "see you tomorrow."

"Yes. Goodbye." Buzz offered his hand to shake Jessie's, smiling kindly. The redhead just stared, her heart beating louder in her chest than she could imagine, trying not to do anything she would regret later. Turning impossibly redder than she already was, Jessie took Buzz's hand and shook it. The moment their hands touched, she felt electricity go through her entire being. She let go quickly, confused but not unpleasantly so. She forced a weak smile, and turned away, walking towards the open doors leading outside. The moment she exited the building, Jessie ran to the main gate to meet up with her brother. She found Woody easily; he was relatively tall, towering at almost six feet. He was leaning against a shady tree, talking to someone. As she got closer, Jessie found that this _someone_ was a pretty blonde girl wearing braids. Woody saw his sister and waved her over, the happiness on his face evident.

"Hey, Jess," he greeted when she had reached him. He patted her affectionately on her head, beaming.

"Hey, Woody..." Jessie said in reply before turning to the girl he was with. "Hi, there, Bo."

"Hello, Jessie," replied Bo with a smile, recognizing her younger sister's best friend. After a moment, she sighed, brushing some of her golden locks from her face, "Emily is taking forever again. Excuse me, you two, I have to find her." She waved at them brightly before heading back towards the school.

"Bye, Bo!" Woody called, waving back and blushing ever so slightly. He turned his attention to his younger sister, with a warm grin. "Well, howdy there, _partner_," he teased her, remembering Jessie's old love for the 'wild, wild west.' The two used to play cowboys (and cowgirls, of course) when they were young to pass the time. He knew how much she loved the feeling they got when they were the two 'rootinest tootinest' outlaws in town. He was the Sheriff and she was the Princess of the Prairie. It would always be that way.

As he had expected, Jessie smiled at him, her eyes filled with wonder. She was still the young little girl he remembered.

"C'mon, let's go," he told her, leading the way home. Jessie followed and they were soon out of the school and on the sidewalk. Woody asked her about her day and she answered with as much detail as possible. However, she did not mention the new kid at all, and talked as though she had never been confused and annoyed at her feelings the whole time. As she finished her story, she let something slip; "So Rex made me and _him_ partners and now I'm confused!" Jessie froze, clasping her hands to her mouth as though she had said a bad word. _'Darn it! I wasn't supposed to mention him at all!'_

Woody raised his eyebrows at his sister, urging her to continue. When she didn't, he asked, "So who exactly is this _'he'_ you're talking about? Like, a certain classmate?"

Jessie just kept her silence, looking fixedly straight ahead, her arms wrapped around herself. Her brother waited for her to answer to no avail. He sighed, pulling the younger teen's bag off of her so he could carry it; he always did that when she had finally finished telling him about how school went for her. Woody knew something was wrong; who wouldn't? It was plain and obvious, you could tell just by looking at Jessie. He stared at her seriously, talking in a lower voice than usual, "What's wrong, Jess? And don't tell me it's nothing, because I know there is something."

Jessie squirmed slightly, knowing when she had to talk. She sighed, but kept her eyes away from her brother. "Nothing, really. There was just a new kid, is all..."

"And what is it with this new kid that makes you so depressed?"

"I didn't say he makes m—"

"I know you didn't. But I can tell." He made his sister look at him, straight in the eyes, offering her a comforting smile. She just nodded absently before suddenly hugging him. As he wrapped his arms around her, she mumbled something against his jacket that he couldn't completely understand. "Hmm?"

"I said 'thank you, Woody.'"

"Oh. Well, you're quite welcome, Jess. You know I'll always be there for you." She replied by hugging him tighter, reminding him of the time when they were teased by their moronic cousins and she had held onto him the whole time they walked out of the school. Woody had to be her father. He wanted to be someone she could go to in times like then and, of course, now. He patted her back consolingly, calming her in a soothing voice. Finally, Jessie let go, eyes red from crying. However, it wasn't about Buzz; it was about the fact that Woody was so much a better father-figure than she could ask for. She didn't even deserve to have someone like him who understands her more than anyone. Including her parents.

After a while, they began to walk home again, Woody's arm around Jessie's shoulders. They were silent once again, but neither wanted to say anything that would upset the other. The older teen finally broke into a smile, pulling his sister closer. "Hey, how about I tell you about my love life in exchange for you telling me 'bout the new kid?"

Jessie's face brightened almost immediately; she wanted to know how far Woody got with wooing Bo. She did not really pay any attention to her part of the deal, so she was eager to comply. "Sure! Okay, okay, you asked her out, right?"

Woody smiled, glad that Jessie was back to her normal, mischievous self. "Oh, no. We just talked," he laughed good-naturedly.

"_Talked?_ C'mon, Woodster! She was practically head over heels for you! You have to make your move!"

"Ah, one step at a time, Jess. After all, she just recently broke up with her boyfriend. I doubt she'll want a new one so soon."

_'Yup, typical Woody. Always thinking about __other's__ feelings and not their actions. It's obvious she likes him back!'_ Jessie sighed exasperatedly, "Maybe not! She seems happier now! This is your chance!"

Her brother just shook his head, amused. "'Fraid not yet. I barely managed to speak to her today. How could I even ask her out?"

"Simple! _'Hey, Bo, wanna go out sometime?'_" Jessie imitated Woody's deep voice, trying to put on a macho face. Although she thought it was a good impersonation, her brother just laughed, still shaking his head.

"Alright. I'll ask her to the dance, that good enough?" He said, giving in; if his little sister thought he should, then she's probably right. Jessie patted his arm in an encouraging way, as though saying "Go get 'em!"

"So, wanna tell me about that new boy?"

"How did you know—?" (Jessie had forgotten what exactly she had said.)

"You said 'he' a while ago. I listen, Jess." Woody just grinned at his sister's annoyed expression. She was honestly impressed about his knack for paying attention to everything she says. After all, how many parents and siblings just let you rant all day and only listen to half of what you say? How many of them even bother to listen at all? Woody was the best.

"Okay, okay," Jessie finally said, "erm... I met him at English class 'cause he told this_ moron_ beside me to shut up. So then we talked and he seemed really sweet. But he's rich, Woody, _rich_! He brought a laptop to school! And—and—I, uh, he—" she broke off; looking bewildered once more, "_I hate those stupid rich people!_ You know why! So I ignored him-well, not really, I never actually saw him after that, oh, but he was in my Science class! Yeah, and he was acting all nice and like we were _best friends_! Like we've known each other forever! But he— I—"Jessie paused, wondering if she should tell Woody about how she felt. Although you could pretty much tell everything to your parents, crushes were mostly not one of those topics. Maybe parents of your gender, but if not, well...you don't say anything at all. Now, siblings are different. You have this very special connection to them that allows you tell them things that you wouldn't say to your parents. But Woody was both to Jessie; a brother and a dad. She really could tell him anything. "Uhm...he, uh...makes me..."

"I understand," the other teen said, noting his sister's blushing state_. '__Hmm__. This must be how she sees me when I talk about Bo,'_ he mused. The crush was obvious to everyone but the person. How ironic.

"So..." Jessie looked defeated, leaning against her brother with a wary look on her face. "I don't know what to feel anymore. He may be a nice guy, but considering his background...he could be a rich snob." However, the two had already reached their front yard and Woody was fumbling around his pockets for the key. When he managed to extract it from a piece of call-slip paper, the teen unlocked the door and walked in, holding it open for his sister. Jessie stumbled through the doorway, taking her bag from her brother. She thanked him before excusing herself and slipping inside her room. As she closed the bedroom door behind her, she dived onto her bed and lay, face down, on her pillow. She sighed, closing her eyes in exhaustion. _'I had such a long day...'_

As she began to drift off to sleep, she saw the face of Buzz once more, holding out his hand for her to take.

If only she could even try to reach it.

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be okay? I mean, there's no problem if I take you there. You don't have to go by yourself on foot." Woody looked nervously at his sister, steadily standing next to her beside the front door. She was set to go, dressed rather cutely for just meeting up with a classmate to do some research. Jessie had begun to get ready the moment they got home to meet up with the boy, which was saying something since they had an early dismissal at around two. Although the library was walking distance, Woody couldn't help but worry; the walk was farther than that of school. It was also in the center of a series of streets and right beside the park. There would be a lot of people and cars, so who knows who's who?

"I'll be fine, Woody. And you can't take me there! Andy should be here any minute. He wouldn't like it if you left him to a locked door." Jessie grinned at her brother in a confident way, assuring him that she will be fine. "I have a phone and I know my ways. I'll be back before you know it."

"Okay. Just remember not to talk to weird people and don't get in a car with anyone. If someone is following you around, go to a crowd of grownups or to a cop. Take some money with you before you leave in case you might want something." Woody said this all in a serious manner, arms folded. Jessie couldn't help but giggle at him. _'He's worse than an over-protective mom!'_

"Yes, Mom."

"Hahaha. Alright, I get it. Just be safe. Call me if you need anything. Really." The older boy briefly hugged his sister, squeezing her shoulders slightly. His sister hugged him back, mumbling her promise to be safe and alert. When she let go, she opened the door and walked out, waving at her brother. "Bye, Woody!"

She saw him waving back, smiling at her. _'I hope she'll be fine,' _he thought.

Jessie walked, ecstatic, thinking about the possible outcomes of today's research session with Buzz. What might happen between them? She wanted to know so much more about him! Although, she probably won't be as open to him as he could be to her... Well, she could find out where she stands with him. _'Maybe he feels the same. Wait, what do I feel about him? Do I really like him...?'  
_  
The closer Jessie got to the library, the more nervous she felt. She had been expecting to see the newbie today, but for some reason, he was not present during class. A shame, as well, since the redhead had 'dressed up' in the cutest outfit she owned. Jessie was hoping to wow Buzz, even bothering to wear lip gloss and curl her eyelashes (she hated mascara), something that she didn't even do on a regular basis. As Woody had called her 'naturally beautiful,' she was very confident that she could impress her partner without looking very obvious. Unfortunately he had missed it, much to her disappointment. The poor girl was so upset that she did not even notice the many looks her guy classmates had given her. Including that nerd from the day before.

But, after re-touching the lip gloss and curling her eyelashes once more, Jessie's plan was back into action. She could only hope that Buzz was not sick and would be able to make their study session. _'If not...that would just plain suck.'  
_  
The library had never looked so intimidating to Jessie. As she reached the wide double doors, the girl seriously considered calling her brother to come with her. She was suddenly scared stiff (in a weird way) and more nervous than she was at the beginning of the day. She had mixed emotions; excited and terrified. Taking a deep, shaky breath, Jessie gritted her teeth and walked through the automatic doors as it opened for her. You'd have thought she was about to charge into a battlefield for war. She quickly scanned the large lobby, looking for any sign of her lab partner. She saw wooden signs pointing to different directions, all labeled with the section name. One of them read **'Computer Room,' **making her remember where exactly she was to meet her classmate. Jessie sighed in relief; she had a fleeting impression that Buzz was not there and stood her up. Well, technically not, since this wasn't a date.

She wove through the many people already in the room, playing games and searching the web. At last she found him, sitting at the corner of the room in a secluded area with only three computers on the desk. He was already browsing through information, and Jessie was overtaken by the urge to scare him. She slowly made her way towards him, bent down to his ear and whispered, _"Sedimentary rock..."  
_  
Of course, Buzz jumped, wildly turning around and looking terrified. He almost shouted "Who goes there?" getting ready to hit when he spotted a hysterical Jessie. He sighed in relief, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Jessie...don't do that... I almost hit you."

"What?" she laughed in reply, clutching the sides of her ribcage, "Really now? Why?" She was still giggling, trying to calm herself down. But every time, she remembered the expression on the boy's face and ended up cracking up again. When her laughter finally subsided, Buzz grinned sheepishly, having laughed himself. "I do that when someone sneaks up on me. After all, you can never be too careful..." he said.

"Oh? Well, I'm sorry for scaring you, Buzzy-boy." Pranking Buzz had made Jessie relaxed, completely removing her nervousness and replacing it with her usual playful demeanor. She was, however, amazed at her own light-heartedness. _'__Buzzy__-boy...?'_ she wondered vaguely.

The other teen blinked, surprised at his sudden nickname. Then he grinned at his partner, jokingly saying, "You did not scare me. I was just...alarmed."

"Yeah, right. Alarm my foot. You were scared."

"Alarmed."

"Scared."

_"Alarmed."_

"Fine, fine. Believe that if it makes you happy..." As she sat beside him at the next computer, she loudly coughed, _"Scared!"_

Buzz just rolled his eyes and took out his notebook from the bag beside him. He showed it to Jessie, explaining to her how they should go about doing their project. She just listened, smiling to herself about how much easier all this seemed to be.

Not the project, of course.


	4. Chapter 4

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Hey, guys! I'm so sorry for the long wait... Really. So, this one is pretty short, kinda. Not as long as the last chapter. I'm hoping that chapter five will really get into the romancey part. Hahaha. I kinda don't like this...a little. Enjoy, though!**

_Ages:_

_Jessie, Buzz, Slinky, Amy - 14_

_Woody, Andy, Bo - 16_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"Woah, look at all those notes! Are we really gonna put all of them in the research?" Jessie questioned her partner, staring with wide eyes at the notebook filled with scribbles and ideas. She gingerly weighed it in her hands and flipped through the many pages, every now and then catching a word on the side. Buzz merely smiled with a satisfied air, typing away at his computer. They had already completed two whole pages! For just two hours of reading, searching, explaining, and writing, that was pretty decent.

Jessie read through their outline and frowned, seeing several missing topics and lack of order. Although they already had a fair amount of information, she couldn't help but add some more. She scribbled lightly on the outline and made small changes, numbering and labeling.

"Hey, Jessie," Buzz said suddenly, causing Jessie to jump in surprise. "I need that book about the rock cycle. But I think I put it back..."

"Oh, that's okay," the redhead replied, setting down the outline, "I'll just go get it." As she rose from her spot, the two heard a loud squeal and the next thing she knew, Jessie found her partner being hugged by some stranger. She could just make out the figure's curly blonde hair and her pink short skirt.

_"Buzz!"_ giggled the girl, still clutching onto Jessie's lab partner. "Oh, who would've thought I'd see you here?"

"Hello, Amy," replied Buzz with a grin, wrapping his arms around the girl as well. The redhead felt disgusted with herself. _'He was taken. How could he not be? Why didn't I see that?'_Despite the obvious hurt in her eyes, Jessie forced a smile at the girl as she stopped hugging Buzz and looked at her. "Oh, Buzz," the girl said (in what Jessie thought was an annoyingly high-pitched voice), "you didn't say you were with a friend!"

"Oh, yes. Amy, this is my lab partner, Jessie. (She scowled slightly at being addressed as just that.) We're working on our science project..."

"Hey, there," Jessie said, looking at Amy. She froze suddenly, staring at the blonde_. 'There's something familiar about her...'_ She looked at the hair, the ice-blue eyes...her voice was so...

_"Orphans!"_

Jessie gasped, shocked. No...this was...

"Hi."

This was Pete's girlfriend. The one who began the stupid chant. The one she hated so much. The one who was currently in good terms with her table partner.

Uh-oh.

"Hey," Amy said slowly, looking weirdly at the girl across from her. She, too, was taken with the familiarity. Then, like Jessie, it clicked. "Oh. Oh, oh, oh! Jessie!" She smirked at her, looking very smug. "How are you? I haven't seen you since elementary school! Well, I go to a different high school, see. An elite academy for us rich kids, huh, Buzz?"

Jessie's partner replied, but she wasn't paying any attention. All she knew was that she couldn't be in the same room with this girl. She really wanted to punch her for what she had called Woody back then. _So much._ But... Wait, that Amy cow was, apparently, great chums with Buzz. _**Buzz. **_Instantly, irrationally, Jessie hated him. If he was friends with snobs like Amy, then he was obviously a snob himself. That's it!

"I have to go," Jessie said abruptly, in a very cold voice, "I just remembered I have to do something." She stuffed her notebook and pencil case in her bag quickly, ignoring Buzz, who had just broken off telling Amy about something. _'Probably some rich kid junk,'_ Jessie thought savagely as she swung her bag over her shoulder and stalked off. She marched out of the library and made her way home, almost in tears. Why, for so many reasons. Hurt. Anger. Betrayal. Self-pity. **"I hate those damn rich people!"**

Buzz stared, confused, at the spot where his partner had just been standing a few seconds ago. It was a weird feeling of Déjà vu, like the first day they met. _'What had happened? She was there talking to me...then Amy came...then she left in a rush.' _Amy was smiling in an odd way, looking at the doorway that their little 'friend' ran off through. She mentally wrote a note to tell Pete and Al who she had just seen. Beside her, Buzz blinked, wondering what on Earth just went wrong.

* * *

**Slam!**

Jessie, with a tear-stained face, ran through the door and to her room. She slammed that door as well, causing Woody to jump in surprise, being in the next room. Leaving Andy playing video games, the brunette ran to his sister's room and knocked frantically. When he got no response the teen tried turning the knob, only to find that his sister had, predictably, locked her door. Woody cursed getting doors with locks and knocked once more, but much harder than he usually would. _"Jessie!"_ he bellowed through the door, "Open up! C'mon, what happened? Jess?"

"Go away!" he heard her muffled response. As much as that hurt him, he continued to knock. "No, Jess. Please talk to me!"

"Woody_, leave me alone!_ Seriously! I want silence!" Jessie was sobbing into her pillow now, completely hating herself. First she fell for a guy who reminded her of people who destroyed part of her life. Next, she thought that he would be decent and fell more for him. Third, he's friends with her mortal female enemy. Now she ran away from them both, hating the stupid guy, and told the only person she loved and cared about her to back off. _Great, just great, Jess._

Woody hesitated, biting his lip; he knew his little sister very well, meaning that right now she really did not want to be bothered. Finally, he sighed, pulling his arm back and turning to go to his room. "Okay, hon..." He said faintly, forcing a smile, as he walked back into his room.

"What's up?" Andy asked him, standing and looking anxiously behind his friend. Woody shrugged in reply and sat on his bed in silence. He motioned for his best friend to continue playing with the game, that half-hearted smile on his wary face. _'Whatever went wrong...it must have been bad. No, not even bad. Horrible.'_

Poor Jessie

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright, girl?" demanded a concerned Emily, tagging along behind her touchy friend to their final periods of the day. Jessie just shook her head once more in a defeated manner. This was it. Their first encounter after the little incident at the library. She had luckily missed out on first period as it had been an assembly day, but nothing seemed to be able to save her from the inevitable double Science. At first, she was resistant in going to school at all; she felt that she wouldn't be able to keep her head with she saw that face again. Then she remembered that she would not be that same helpless little girl who needed a knight to save her. No, she would be the powerful, independent Princess of the Prairie, never needing a man's help. She was her own knight, her own shield. No one was ever going to stop her from living her life normally. She wouldn't have some stranger ruin these school years as well. She was done with the hurt.

"Let's _do_ this!" Jessie said enthusiastically, pumping her fist in the air. Emily was so taken by her sudden change in attitude that all she could do was stare, mouth slightly agape. The redhead had no idea where her energy was coming from, maybe the fact that she wanted to feel the odd satisfaction of seeing her partner's shocked face after three hours of cold-shouldering. That would be, in her opinion, a good start of revenge; after all how many rich morons enjoyed being overlooked? Don't they all love being recognized and admired? _'A healthy dose of ignoring and flat behavior should put that kid back in his place!'_

"'Morning, Jessie!"

"Hello, Mr. Rex." She smiled at the teacher politely as she picked her usual seat at the back of the class. (Emily had left for her own class, shaking her head.) The desk beside her was empty, but she still felt anxious about seeing her new classmate. She quickly scanned the room for any of her friends, hoping to get them to occupy her partner's unofficial desk. She managed to catch her long-time classmate, Slinky's, eye. Although that was not his real name, it matched him perfectly since he was so tall (one of the tallest in the year!) yet so flexible. Jessie was the one who begun calling him that back in middle school, and it stuck ever since. He even let her know that he liked that nickname. Slinky was her best guy friend.

"Slink!" she called to him, pointing at the desk beside herself. He gave her a thumbs-up, hurrying to the seat by his close friend. When he had comfortably sat on the chair, he smirked at Jessie. "Are you talking to me now?"

"Haha," replied the redhead sarcastically, rolling her green eyes, "you know very well that we've all been too busy with all these work. 'Sides, you never even wave to me when I shout at you outside!"

"Well, sorry. And I do say 'hi' back!"

"Sure, sure...so how've you been?"

"Good...just settling to all the new stuff. You?"

"Pretty much the same..." Jessie sighed, recalling how hectic the first week back has been.

"Aw, don't worry! We'll get used to it!"

"Hah. Sure."

"So who's your partner? If you think me sitting next to you will change Rex's mind, it won't."

"I know; I just wanted to...see you..."

"Right. Next time I come over to your house, I'll bring you a 'lil somethin' to lift your spirits." Slinky grinned.

"Well, okey-dokey—"

"Please settle down everyone!" came Rex's voice, causing Jessie to break off once more, "You will all dedicate this period to your projects! Please sit with your partners; moving your chairs will be fine as well!" As the class came alive with movement and noise, a certain redhead nervously glanced about for the person she had been dreading to face all day. It was obviously not going to be easy. Slinky had sheepishly got up to move for Jessie's partner, but she stopped him almost immediately. "No, Slink, have your buddy come here," she told him evenly, "I don't mind...my partner could always grab a chair and drag it over. You were here first."

"Oh. Are you sure, Jess?" Her friend tilted his head slightly in confusion. _'Why does she want me here? Not that I mind...'  
_  
"Yeah, yeah. Go for it."

Slinky nodded and turned away so he could call over his partner. At the same time, _he_ appeared.

"Hello, Jessie. Ah, I guess I'll just sit here then..." Buzz motioned to the empty desk in front of Jessie, one that a previous student had left to sit by their lab partner. She almost scowled, hating the fact that her stomach began to tighten and her heart beat quickened considerably. She even felt her face warm as she nodded mutely. The girl did not notice that her partner threw Slinky an annoyed look, or that her longtime friend gave him a victorious smirk in return.

"Yes, let's begin working," Buzz said, frowning at Jessie's friend, "wait, actually, I was wondering if you would tell me what exactly happened during yesterday's session..." He added, remembering the confusing scene from the day before. He recalled Amy smiling and telling him that he should be careful with people like Jessie, although he didn't exactly understand what that meant. Either way, he had left the library right after the scene.

"I was busy," replied his partner in a cool voice, not looking at him. She opened her book and read about fossils inside rocks, not even picking up on what it was explaining. Her mind was oddly fixed on Buzz and Amy hugging, causing a sense of remorse for her.

Jessie ignored Buzz's attempts at a conversation and continued to stare onto the same line in her book as she had at the beginning of class. If he asked her a question, she'd nod or shrug in an indifferent way. Sometimes she wouldn't answer at all and left him in an awkward silence. Sure, it was immature, but Jessie had had enough and wanted to get rid of the problem the quickest way. If she got Buzz to hate her, then they wouldn't have to spend time together after the project and there would be no chance for her to get hurt again. Plain and simple. Yet...why did it hurt her so much anyway? She would be avoiding the pain, but she'd get another kind all the same. A lose-lose situation.

After a while, Buzz had taken the hint and begun to quietly type on his laptop, every now and then glancing at his partner. She looked so annoyed to him, and upset. Was it something he did? He gave in to his conscience, leaning to her and tapping her on her shoulder. She turned to look at him reluctantly, frowning as she did so. "What?" she demanded, raising an eyebrow.

Now it was Buzz's turn to get angry; who does this girl think she is? "_Excuse_ me, but I have been trying to be a nice partner all class! Yesterday, you storm out like I did something unforgivable and now you have the nerve to show up in a foul mood and take it out on me! And here I am, being very concerned and actually working on the project while you sit and sulk! Now you talk like you're too good for me with that attitude? I don't think so. _I have had enough_."

Jessie was too shocked to speak. Her mind was still absorbing what exactly the boy had said. What it meant. _She_ was the bad guy? And what's with the whole 'not working' thing? She had drawn several illustrations of the rock cycle and labeled them specifically! She made eight pages worth of notes, including things that they were not originally covering! _'He just typed away on his shiny laptop, probably thinking that he's too good for pencils and paper.' _But she drew her line at shouting.

"What are you shouting at me for? I _did_ work on the project! Oh, I get it; I need to type on a laptop, too, for my notes to be counted as work, huh? You're just too special to write with a piece of wood, aren't you? Look, pal, I want an 'A,' so you better stop blaming me for wanting to get work done. Just because I'm quiet for one day and I want to concentrate, I'm already doing something wrong? **No**, so stop bothering me."

"How dare—"

"_Jessie. Buzz._ We are working now, so please keep from fighting in my classroom. If it isn't scientifically-related, I will have to take points away from your project." Mr. Rex frowned at the two. Everyone in the classroom was staring at them, some were laughing lightly. Jessie nodded, face red from embarrassment and anger, dropping her gaze to her book once more. Her partner did the same, except he apologized to the teacher and scowled at all the onlookers. They hastily went back to their projects.

'He hates me now, for sure. Good job, Jessie.' She sadly scribbled on her paper, trying to stop herself from crying in the middle of the class. But everything was so overwhelming! The shouting...fighting...being told off in front of everyone...embarrassment. And now, she had lost someone she had been hoping could be her...her _what_, exactly?

Hurt, again.

Two hours...one...half an hour...ten minutes...

"You can go back to your original seats now, class…"

Buzz stood and left for his seat, right at the front of the class without a backwards glance. Jessie rolled her eyes and returned her belongings to her bag, cursing the day. Slinky watched Buzz leave with a disgusted expression on his face. He personally did not like having his friend shouted at by some guy...

The bell rang.


	5. Chapter 5

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Alrighty, chapter 5. I'm so sorry it took a while, but I had a lot of things to do. I also apologize if there are any spelling and grammar errors. Although now, I totally want Woody as my brother. Hehehe, he's such a sweetie in the movie. Yes, so on to the story!**

_Ages:_

_Jessie, Buzz, Slinky- 14_

_Woody, Bo - 16_

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 5**

"You okay there, Jess?" asked Slinky as the two walked out of the classroom side-by-side. Buzz had, unceremoniously, gotten up and briskly left the moment the final bell rang, glowering at anyone who made eye-contact with him as he did so. Jessie had flat-out asked the teacher if she could work by herself, hoping that her good grades would make him favor her. Unfortunately, the fight with Buzz had made Mr. Rex all the more willing of keeping them as partners, saying something about _"being able to learn from each other"_ and _"not everyone in life is someone you like."_

"Listen," Slinky began as he stared at his friend with a knowing look, "I know you're upset 'cause that guy said a bunch of insults, but it's not like you have to be with him after this, right?"

"Yeah..." mumbled Jessie sadly, feeling even worse. Although she knew her buddy was just trying to comfort her, she couldn't help but feel depressed at the thought of saying good-bye to Buzz. He...was _almost_ her Prince Charming...the only one she could've learned to trust in time. But that was gone now. From where she was standing, they were as much enemies as her and Amy. Great. "I was being mean, wasn't I?" she asked dryly.

"Well...I mean, you coulda talked to him a tiny bit nicer. But what he did was inexcusable, he wasn't supposed to shout." Slinky added hastily, seeing Jessie's facial expression.

She laughed darkly, shaking her head. "Nah, I know I was a jerk...with what I said..."

"Y'know, maybe it's not _what_ was said to him but _who _said it," blurted the other teen without thinking. He instantly regretted saying those words when his friend turned to look at him in confusion. "Uh...I-I mean..."

_"What do you mean?"_ demanded Jessie with a suspicious tone,_"Slink!"_

"Heh, well, look at that! We're at the gate! I, uh, have to go now. See you tomorrow, Jess!" He grinned as the redheaded girl giggled and gave him a good-bye hug, lightly punching him. With a wave, he walked towards the opposite direction to his ride. _'Ah, well...let her be.'_

Jessie laughed to herself, rolling her eyes amusedly. She headed for the main gate, still caught up with last period's events. Her and Buzz were not on speaking terms, she had just shown her jerk-side in front of the whole class, and now even Slinky thinks there's something, despite his feeble attempts of hiding his thoughts...but what though? What did he mean?

The girl was so buried deep in thought that she had walked out of the school and absentmindedly began to head home, forgetting to wait for her brother. It was when her house was in view when she realized that it had been much too quiet for her to be with Woody. She gasped, turning back and running straight for the school without hesitation. Jessie barely made it to the corner when she bumped into someone, almost getting thrown off at the impact; the person held onto her to keep her from falling. "I am _so_ sorry..." she began, looking up in embarrassment. She was amazed to find a familiar pair of hazel eyes staring back at her, concerned but relieved all the same. _"Woody!"_

"Hey, Jess. Forget something?" her brother grinned, offering his arm. His sister took it, latching herself to him as though he was her life-supporter. Whenever she was with Woody, everything just calmed down and nothing seemed to worry her anymore. It was peaceful.

"I am _so _sorry. I wasn't paying any attention and I just kinda walked home..."

"That's okay. I figured you did; everyone had already headed out. I was just nervous since you left by yourself without a word." Jessie bit her lip, feeling immensely guilty for making her brother anxious. He was very over-protective of her (in a good way) and because of that, she'd never been in any real trouble. However, when he got worried about her, it was very serious and he would not give up until he knew she was safe and happy. She could only imagine what his thoughts were after she had left ominously. _'He probably panicked and thought I got kidnapped. Oops.'  
_  
"I'm really sorry for scaring you like that, Woody," she mumbled in a small voice.

"It's fine. Besides, you have phone. I would've just called you anyway." Jessie did not reply and nodded. It was quiet between them for a moment, with both lost in thought.

"Why'd you forget?" said the older teen finally, trying not to sound too worried. After all, he was sure his sister still felt upset about leaving him. But it made him curious as to what could possibly distract Jessie into walking home without looking back.

"Oh...uh...I was tired," lied Jessie casually, looking anywhere but her brother. She had no idea why she wasn't being honest, maybe because she did not want Woody to be concerned anymore. If she told him about fighting with the boy that had occupied her mind so frequently, now causing her to forget her own family, then...

Nothing she wanted on her conscience.

"Really, now? _Tired_?" _Darn_, he knew.

"Yeah. I didn't get enough sleep last night, remember? And class was _so_ boring. Try watching an hour and a half's worth of _fossil fuels_." Jessie put on her most honest face and even voice. She used the right amount of exhaustion in her tone with the proper facial expressions. Although she did not want to admit it, she was good at lying. Mainly because after her cousins, she had refused to trust anyone but Woody, causing her to answer untruthfully to questions she felt were personal. Queries like how she was feeling, or anything to do with her only family. She had never told anyone anything she didn't want the public to know, not even Emily.

It hurt her to realize that Woody seriously believed her; how good of an actress was she, to convince someone who knew her too well that everything was fine when it was the complete opposite? It was obvious he felt something was wrong, bothering her...but for her to be able to lie easily just like that...it was disturbing.

"Okay, then, kiddo. Can't blame you for being tired."

"Yeah..." Did he notice her wince? "I'm_ really_ tired..."

"C'mon, we're almost home, Jess."

With that, the two walked back to the house, silent the rest of the way.

* * *

_Splash_

Woody walked warily against the wet ground, trying hard not to drop the plastic bag he was holding. It had suddenly rained a few minutes ago, but had stopped all the same. With the sun setting, it had begun hard to see, causing the teen to take the wrong route home. So instead of the usual fifteen-minute walk to his house, he had taken an hour detour into town. Jessie was with Emily in the nearby diner doing homework, and he was out in the misty streets, exhausted. If only he had decided to go to the drug store some other time...oh, well.

As he continued trudging along the muddy path, he distinctly heard a loud bark and some footsteps behind him. He turned instinctively, wondering if there was someone out on the deserted sidewalk at this time. Since the mist blocked almost everything from view, he couldn't be too sure. He shrugged, about to turn back when a louder bark echoed through, sending chills down his spine. It was so creepy.

"Hey! _Wait_!" A voice called from his back, followed by more barking noises. The sounds grew louder each second Woody waited rooted to the spot. Finally, breaking all tension, the boy was thrown backwards, painfully hitting the ground. Luckily, he was on a sidewalk, so some of him landed on the grass from someone's lawn. Phew.

Bark! _Bark_! _**Bark**_!

The noise was right at his ear and he felt a large amount of weight on his stomach. Looking up, he was greeted the furry face of a huge, brown dog, desperately trying to lick him. Woody scratched the back of the animal's ear and smiled. It was absolutely adorable! Not that he would admit that to anyone, of course.

"Hey, buddy," he mumbled to the dog, now petting his head, "where's your owner?" He was answered by more barks and a lick on his face. "Hahaha."

"Are you alright?" a voice asked from beside the dog. Woody looked up to see a teenager with flushed cheeks staring nervously at him. He looked extremely relieved that the animal had stopped running. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm fine. Your dog just wants to play, I guess."

"Huh?" said the boy, puzzled. "That's not your dog?"

Now it was Woody's turn to be confused. _His?_ "Uhm, no. I don't own any pets."

"Oh. I thought that since it went to you..."

Woody shook his head. "No. Wait, why were you chasing after it then?"

"He ate my, erm, paper. Seriously. I was walking by that park near here and this- thing-came out and tried to bite me. Well, my hand. But it bit what I was holding instead, so..."

The kid looked so solemn as he explained that Woody did not dare laugh at the story. Yeah, it was a little bit funny, but you had to know when the time was right to make a joke of things. Not this time. "Ah. So it's a stray?"

"Probably, mister—?"

"Woody. No need to add the 'mister' part, though."

"Alright, Woody. My name's Buzz." The blonde grinned.

_Drip_

The two guys looked up to find that heavy drops of rain had begun to fall. They managed to scurry under a large tree before getting too wet. "_Darn_!" growled Buzz in annoyance, "First I get lost, then I chase this mutt, and now _this_!"

"You got lost?"

"Yeah. That's why I wanted my paper back...it had an address on it."

"Oh," Woody frowned. They both seemed to be in similar situations, except the chasing part. "Hey, I got lost, too," (_'Why do I sound so proud about that?'_) "Do you have a phone right now?"

Buzz felt his pockets quickly before shaking his head. "No."

"Okay. Here, use mine to call for a ride." The brunette reached into his back pocket and offered the silver cell phone.

"Really?"

"Yeah, go for it." He handed the boy the phone.

Nodding, Buzz dialed his home phone number and waited for his dad to pick up. In the meantime, Woody petted the dog some more, wondering how exactly it will manage in the rain. He had a soft spot for animals, particularly lively ones like dogs and horses. How could he leave this one all by itself?

"Of course. Thank you," Buzz snapped the phone shut, turning back to the older kid. "Here. Thanks for letting me use your cell phone."

"You're welcome," replied Woody, grinning at him as he took back the object.

"Wait, aren't you calling for your ride?"

"Oh, no. I walk home. I'm almost there anyway."

"I could give you a ride."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be fine, but thanks for offering." It was a polite suggestion, but it wasn't really wise to allow someone you just met to take you home in their car. Woody would just wait with the kid until he was picked up. After all, Buzz looked younger than him.

"Are you sure? I don't mind."

"Yeah."

It was silent for a moment, but Woody doubted that keeping to yourself was appropriate during this little dilemma. After starting a conversation, the two chatted light-heartedly, laughing at the situation they were in. For some reason, the fact that they were stuck under a tree to avoid the pouring rain with an overgrown dog was very amusing. To them, at least, since most people would be distressed at this. They seemed to get along well, agreeing to the same things and frowning at others. It was interesting for both of them to find so much in common with a random stranger. Finally, Buzz's ride arrived, its headlights shining through the mist. The kid turned to Woody, "Are you sure, really?"

"Yes. Now go on, it's pretty late."

"Wait, what about the dog? I can't take him."

"Don't worry about him, he's coming with me." The words were out of Woody's mouth before he could consider anything. Keeping the dog? He really said that? The idea barely _crossed_ his mind and now he'd agreed to it!

"Oh," Buzz paused, also surprised. Nevertheless, he smiled and offered his hand. "Thanks a lot, Woody."

"No problem. Nice meetin' you." Woody took Buzz's hand and shook it. After letting go, the blonde walked over to his waiting car. Waving one last time to the other teen, he got in and the car drove away.

Sighing, the young man got up and stared after the disappearing headlights. "Let's go," he told the dog with a grin.

* * *

"Woody! I'm back!" Jessie hollered as she stepped into their house. She was dripping water onto the carpet from the rain outside, shivering slightly.

"Hey, Jess," called her brother from the kitchen. "Come here."

Jessie obliged, curious. There a strange sound to Woody's calm voice, one that she couldn't recognize at the moment. As she entered cluelessly into the kitchen, she was greeted by several loud barks and a lick on her face. She looked down to see a large dog on its hind legs, front paws on her stomach area. It was a very big dog, probably up to her lower belly if it stood on all fours. After the first wave of shock, she was instantly delighted at the thought of having a pet. _'Especially a cutie like this!'_

Kneeling on the floor, Jessie cuddled the dog and scratched its soft head, enjoying the feel of the warm fur. She laughed as it licked her and nuzzled her face. "Aw, aren't you the sweetest puppy I've ever met!" she cooed.

"Haha. I'm glad you like him, Jessie."

"Woody, he's _adorable_! Where'd you get him?"

"Ah. Long story, but we don't need to get into that. All I know is that it's a stray and we can keep it."

"Sweet! So what's his name? Did you think of a good one?"

"Actually, I was waiting for you so that you could name him."

Jessie's eyes widened. "Me? You want me to name him?"

"Why not?"

"Oh—uhm—okay—" she turned to the dog and looked thoughtfully at him. He was light brown and absolutely furry, but very large. His eyes were somewhat big and he had a darkish, peachy-colored nose. All in all, he was a gorgeous animal. "Bullseye."

"Bullseye? All right, kinda macho. Where'd you get that name, Jess?"

Jessie merely smiled sadly, stroking her new pet, "It's a secret."

_'Welcome to our small family, Bullseye.'_

* * *

_Saturday_.

One of the best days of the week. Heck, _the_ best day of the week. No school, no waking up early, no not being able to stay up late, and no 'you can't use the computer until your homework is finished'. Best of all, no Buzz.

Jessie sighed as she lay in bed, staring at her white-and-blue ceiling. She had awoken a few minutes earlier, but had decided on not getting up just yet. Bullseye had chosen her room to sleep in last night and now he was curled up beside her, still sleeping. It was very comforting to sleep cuddled next to a dog; like hugging a warm stuffed animal, but nicer. The two had already grown attached in under a day! Bullseye was someone Jessie _knew _she could trust.

Soon, as she had begun to doze off again, the brown dog stirred, opening its eyes timidly. It gave a small whimper to its owner, sneaking back under the covers. The girl just giggled, lightly tickling her new pet with sudden brightness. They continued playing around until her brother knocked on her door, laughing from the outside. "Have you woken up yet, Jess?" he called through the walls, "I'm making waffles!"

Jessie's head snapped up instantly and she grinned. "_Yes!_ Waffles! C'mon, Bullyseye, let's go eat!" Jumping out of her bed, she ran and flung her door open, revealing an amused Woody. Bullseye dashed passed her and tackled the boy, licking his surprised face. It seemed as if that was his way of greeting his first owner.

The trio moved to the kitchen, still in high spirits. The smell of the waffles in the cooker was intoxicating, filling up the whole area with the pleasant aroma. Jessie eagerly pulled out the syrup and butter from the refrigerator. After placing them on the table, she went back into the kitchen with her brother, who was now turning the waffle-maker. "Woody, can we put ice-cream on the waffles?"

"What? This early? Oh, I don't know, Jess. Wouldn't that give you a stomachache?"

"Oh, yeah..." Jessie looked crestfallen as she closed the freezer door.

"I can make more after lunch that we could eat with ice-cream," offered Woody, already knowing the answer.

"Really? Sweet!"

He chuckled. "Okay, now go on and get your plates ready. This thing'll be done soon."

Two-and-half waffles later, Jessie leaned back against her chair, satisfied. Her remaining food was sitting soaked with syrup on her plate, waiting to be eaten. Woody was busy cleaning up, throwing away the trash and washing the dishes, despite his sister's efforts to help. Finally, Bullseye was asleep under the table, now full of dog food. (Woody absolutely would not allow him to eat the waffles.) They had an interesting family.

With a sudden idea, Jessie jumped to her feet, excited. "I'm gonna take Bullseye out to play!"

"Alright," she heard her brother call from the other room, "just finish your food first, please."

"'Kay!" Grabbing her fork, she quickly ate the remaining waffles in three big bites. "Done! I'm taking a shower now."

The girl hurried to her room, ripping open her closet door. She scanned the hangers and picked a light grey shirt. Turning to the dressers, the redhead opened the third one and thought for a moment. _'Shorts or sweats? Well, the farthest I'm going to is the park, but I'll probably stay in the yard.'_ Nodding absently, she grabbed a pair of black shorts and a few other necessities. She made her way into the bathroom, locked the door, and got ready for her shower...

_'The water's so nice,'_ Jessie thought as she stood under the heavy steam, warm liquid pouring over her shoulder. It was so relaxing. She knew that she was taking much longer than usual, but after a week of stressful events, it was nice to just close your eyes and lay back. Exactly what she had been doing this morning.

With a sigh, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, reaching for a towel. After getting properly dried, Jessie got dressed and brushed her teeth, wondering what she will do with her dog for the whole day. Maybe she could go to the store and pick up a few toys and treats...yeah...

Before heading out of the bathroom, the teen glanced at the mirror and stopped; what was she going to do with her hair? Should she blow-dry it? Tie it? After a few minutes of thinking, she decided to just leave her hair down since it was still wet. However, she did dry it a little bit and used a comb to straighten it out. She gave a small smile to her reflection before she opened the door and made her way to Woody. As she neared the living room, she could hear her brother talking, but obviously not to her. She assumed that maybe one of his friends came over, or their aunt just wanted to see them, but she put on a friendly smile either way.

"Hey, Woody," Jessie began, entering the room, "I—"

She was cut off by a pair of familiar-looking blue eyes.

_**"Buzz?"**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Super Nova**

**Hey, guys! This one's a quick (sorta) chapter, but mostly dialogue. Heh, the 'romance' starts now! Heheheh. Enjoy!**

_Ages:_

_Buzz, Jessie, Emily - 14_

_Woody - 16_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

"What are you doing here?" demanded Jessie, hands on her hips, "are you going to shout some more?"

"Actually—" began Buzz, but was immediately cut off.

"Oh, I know! You're here to warn me never to shout at you again unless I want to get hurt. I'm right, aren't I?"

"Well—"

"Jessie? What are you talking about?" Woody broke in, clearly bewildered. "Shouting? What?"

"Woody! Family meeting!" Jessie pulled her brother by his arm and dragged him towards the back of the kitchen, scowling at her lab partner. She was blushing and she desperately wanted to die, knowing that she looked like a total idiot in front of everyone in the house. However, she wanted to clarify a few things with Woody first.

When they were out of Buzz's eyesight, the redhead rounded on her brother. "Why is _he_ here?"

"I don't know! You went to take a shower and later he was ringing the doorbell so I answered! I let him come in 'cause I knew him and—"

"How did you know that—that jerk?"

"Jerk? Oh, uhm, Jess, if that's how you feel..."

"What?"

"What would you say if I told you that _'jerk'_ is the reason we have Bullseye?"

"...damn it."

"Sorry, kiddo, but you owe him. If I never've met him, we'd never have had our dog." Woody motioned for his sister to go back to the living room with him, smiling slightly. Jessie pouted at him and stalked off towards Buzz, shaking her head as she did so. When they faced each other, she grimaced at her partner, but blushed all the same.

Buzz sighed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Although he knew that coming here would lead him to see her, he was hoping that it wouldn't have been this soon. He had no choice but to get it over with, though. "Jessie," he finally said in a stern voice, making it very clear in his tone that he did not want to be interrupted, "I am here to settle our differences. Yesterday was not fun for both of us and I want to make sure that it never happens again. So please, tell me what I did to insult you so much; I want to make it better. I'm sorry, by the way, for acting so rude last class."

He finished solemnly, looking at her with that blaze in his eyes as he had when they first met. For some reason, despite her determination to hate him, Jessie felt her heart pounding against her chest and her face getting warmer and warmer. Inside her stomach, the butterflies were replaced by bigger flying animals that were now dancing with joy. It was amazing how everything was happening like this; she could loathe him for what felt like a lifetime and yet fall for him just after a few heartfelt words. But the apology was so sweet, so sophisticated, and best of all, he seemed serious about it, which made her wonder if he really was different. Rich people don't care about others, right? At least those in a lower class. But if he didn't care about her at all, why was he here? Did he actually go through the trouble of finding her so he could make them..._friends_ again? Was this really happening?

"I-I—" Lost for words, Jessie blushed a deeper shade of red when her partner smiled at her in an encouraging way. "I guess I'm sorry, too, Buzz." _'Woah, what the heck? I hate him one second...and now? What?'  
_  
He looked relieved. "That's fine, don't worry about it. I'm hoping you forgave me as well?"

"Yeah, of course. But, uhm, how did you find my house?" The girl made a mental note that her brother had, mysteriously, disappeared from the scene, no doubt wanting to ensure the two some privacy.

"Ah, yes. I asked the teacher after school yesterday. I felt really bad about leaving everything the way it was, so I called him up and asked where I could find you."

"Oh." _'Stop smiling like a moron at him right now!'_

"Yeah, but your dog kinda ate the paper with this address, so I had to look if I copied it anywhere else later. Which I did, as you noticed, since I'm here." He laughed, making Jessie's smile grow wider. If she let herself, she could probably float right now with all the warm feelings inside. "So...will you please tell me what's wrong?" he added hopefully, because upon seeing her smile, he got a boost of confidence. Buzz looked directly at her eyes and she did the same to him. It was quiet as they stared at each other, lost in thought, forgetting the use of words. Jessie wanted to never break eye contact. Never. If her feelings were just stirring a while ago when he first showed up, it was nothing compared to the craziness she felt at this moment. Some parts of her brain were chanting _'Kiss him!'_ while the rest told her to just tell him about Amy.

Amy...wait, his girlfriend!

"Uhm, I left be-because that girl showed up," she mumbled, finally looking away. Buzz did not say anything, although he did seem disappointed about losing their connection. He rubbed curiously at the new sensation on his cheeks, confused. _'Is it really that warm today?'_

"Amy?" he asked, remembering the scene.

"Yes. I-I hate her, Buzz, I really do. Something happened before-and, well, I hate her and she hates me. She's a cold-blooded, _stinking _jerk who—"

"Okay, okay, I understand. But are you sure? I've known her since middle school. The same school she's going to now use to be my old one before I transferred here."

"I—what?"

"Yeah. Ignoring that, though, I'm sure Amy would never do anything that will make you hate her so."

"Well, sorry that I don't like your _girlfriend_—" Jessie snapped in annoyance. _'To all the boys out there, if you ever want to make up with a girl, don't mention another girl. Ever. It doesn't help the situation. Like this genius here...'  
_  
"Girlfriend? Oh, no, we're not dating. I mean, we used to, but I decided it was better we stay friends." He looked at her shocked face in amusement. "Okay, so you hate her. But what does that have to do with us?"

"Huh?"

"She and I are different. Don't let what you think of her do anything to our friendship. If we want a good grade, then we must be nothing less than absolute _comrades_. After all, you tend to work best if you're comfortable around someone."

"I—uh...yes, okay. Deal." Jessie suddenly felt sick with herself for judging her classmate so badly just because he was friends with someone _she_ loathed. That wasn't fair; even she knew that. "I'm sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry for. We're friends now." Buzz gave her a charming smile and she grinned sheepishly in return. _'Ah, forget Amy. He's way too worth it to ignore.'_ He offered his hand, but Jessie flung her arms around him instead. She wasn't thinking, and acted on impulse, much to her horror. Luckily, he could not see how much her face was burning. Buzz stood still, surprised for a moment, before finally wrapping his arms around the girl in front of him, patting her back in a comforting manner. At the same time, the two leaned back from the embrace and stared once more into each other's eyes. Jessie swallowed, blocking out everything else in the world. _'This is what matters the most right now.'_

Buzz seemed to think along the same lines. He brushed some of her hair from her face, smiling. In one slow motion, they leaned in. Closer...closer...wow, _so _close...

_**Bark!**_

The two jumped apart in alarm, looking around for the offending noise. Bullseye ran into the room, tackling Buzz as he did so. With him on the ground, the dog giddily turned to its owner, barking playfully. Jessie was too shocked to move; what had just happened? Well, what had _almost_ happened? They leaned in...What were they supposed to do by leaning in?

She sighed and crouched down so she could play with her pet. That was, without a doubt, the _worst timing _she'd ever seen before. Nobody really understands that until they're on the receiving end.

Buzz sat up, looking very irritated at Bullseye. He got to his feet while rubbing his head where it hit the floor. Obviously, the moment was lost, and neither looked about ready to mention anything. It would just be a memory for them to read into later and decipher its meaning. Jessie was blushing to the roots of her skin, petting her dog just as an excuse to avoid looking at the boy beside her. He was trying to do the same, except he was examining his shoes instead. There was a long awkward silence between them before Woody decided to join the two. He was completely oblivious to the discomfort in the atmosphere. "Hey, Buzz, you wanna stay for a while?" he asked the blonde casually, kneeling down so he could scratch Bullseye's belly. Jessie's eyes widened and she couldn't help herself as she stared at her brother with a pleading look on her face. Buzz obviously did not give much thought as to what he was supposed to do after reconciling with his lab partner; he never even wondered whether he would just leave or do something with her to make up. But did he want to stay? Well...what else is there to do?

"...sure, Woody. But, uhm, is that really alright?"

"Yeah! Of course, there's no trouble." Woody replied with a grin, glancing quickly at his little sister. He looked confusedly at her flushed face, wondering how hot exactly today was going to be. He stood up and walked over to the air-conditioning controls, turning on the air higher than usual. _'This'll keep everything nice and cool.'_

"Well then, I'd love to stay over."

_'Yes!'_ shouted Jessie in her mind with utmost enthusiasm. Buzz looked at her and grinned.

See? Saturdays _were_ the best.

* * *

The thought of having Buzz over was, at the time he had agreed, really exciting for Jessie. Now, she was a little disappointed at the current turn of events: Woody and Buzz playing video games while she sat on the couch and watched it all. She was hoping that she and her new friend would be the ones doing something together; after all, they had known each other longer, right? And they had just made up! (Not to mention _that_ moment...) But no, he was with_ Woody_. Having fun, joking around, and pretty much only talking to _Woody_. Her? She was either forgotten or ignored. Not that she blamed them, of course, since the game had only been released yesterday. Woody had just got it and, oddly enough, rich-kid _Buzz_ was not even given permission to buy the game. From what Jessie picked up from his story, the boy's father found playing video games a waste of time and being a mere excuse to use destroy fictional beings on the television. Despite that, Buzz had secretly bought a game system and a few video games to test it with, only he had to hide it so that their butler won't accidentally find it upon 'tidying up' the room.

This alien-pounding game was what both guys wanted more than anything else, so naturally, they simply had to play it. But it was only for "two players," so Jessie couldn't join in. Not that she would anyway. She wasn't a girly-girl, but she was not_ that_ much of a tomboy. No, she was nicely in the middle. Average. Normal. (Well, maybe a little too un-trusting, but was that really so bad?)

"Uhm...guys?" she tried saying to the two boys in front of the T.V. screen, already doubting she would get to them.

"Hmm?" Woody responded, not taking his eyes off the game and his fingers pressing in sync on the controls. Jessie was amazed he even noticed her at all.

"Yeah?" Buzz added as the game went into a cut-scene. He was obviously not interested on watching characters speak or plan without the use of the deadly guns they were holding. Instead, he seemed to enjoy blasting off the aliens' heads.

"How's your game coming along?" she sighed, knowing that stopping them was far from possible. That wasn't exactly what she had wanted to say, but...

Heck, she wasn't even sure they'd _answer._

"Good," came both their voices on unison.

"Great..." Another sigh.

"Wanna play, Jess?" offered Woody, displaying his father-side all of a sudden. That was surprising.

"No, thanks, Woody...Actually, I'm just gonna go to the kitchen...and get a drink or something..." Jessie stood up and stretched, accidentally lifting a little bit of her shirt in the process. Thank goodness neither boy was looking at her... "You guys want any?"

"No."

"No, thanks."

The girl rolled her eyes, walking tiredly towards the other room. She barely set foot in the kitchen when the telephone let out a shrill ring. "I'll get it!" she called_. 'Not that it would matter.'_

"Hello?"

"Girl, why didn't you call?" a familiar voice asked her over the line.

"Oh, Emily! Hi! Uh, gosh, I was supposed to, huh?"

"Yup. I told you to call me so we could talk about _You-Know-Who_!"

"Heh, oh, yeah..." Jessie vaguely remembered accidentally letting her Buzz problem slip during her and Emily's homework session at the diner. After that, she had no choice but to tell her best friend about the new kid. Plus her feelings about him.

"_So_," her friend prompted.

"So what?"

"_So_ how are you holding up? What are you going to do about...it all?"

"Ah, well, Milly, _You-Know-Who_ is actually a few feet away from me."

It was silent on the other end for a moment. Then—

_**"OH MY GOSH! HE'S AT YOUR HOUSE? WHY? I KNEW IT, YOU TWO ARE GOING OUT!"**_

Jessie had to hold the phone away from her ear to listen to her friend rant without going deaf. She was, however, amused at the reaction. "What do you mean you knew we're going out? What?"

"Well, why else is he over there? Ooh, did you two have a _make-up-make-out_ thing? That would be so sweet!"

_"EMILY!"_

"What? Oh, I get it; it's a secret, huh? Being very protective, are we?"

"No! It's not like that all!" Jessie looked nervously at the direction of the living and room and blushed when she realized that everything had gone _quiet_. Could they hear her?

"Psh, don't bother hiding these details from me, Jess."

"But really! It's_ not_ anything like—"

"Uh-huh. Sure. Oh, wait! Is he a good kisser?"

"I—what? _Would you drop that already?"_

"Nope, sorry, that's my job. And 'sides, we promised to tell each other if these things happened! I _told _you about Sid, right?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. You two were so 'love-love' about everything..."

"So? You've had your share of boyfriends, too. Want me to name them all?"

"No._ No,_ thank you. I do not want to talk about them right now."

"Oh, it's 'cause he's there, right? Well, I can't blame you, girl. You _never _talk about your ex if your current boyfriend is there within hearing range."

"_E-mi-ly._ We. Are. Not. Dating," Jessie hissed in a deadly whisper, not wanting to attract attention from the boys in the other room.

"O-ka-y, _Jess-ie_!"

"Yeah, yeah...he's here except he's not really hanging out with me...more like playing some game with my brother."

"Really? Did they, like, just leave you alone to yourself?"

"Yup."

"How rude! I would _so_ dump him if he did that to me!"

"Emily..."

"Wait! Is it okay if I came over right now?"

"What?"

"You said you're being neglected! Ooh, I'll come and you'll have a friend to talk to and I could take a look at this Buzz kid! A win-win!"

"I—" Jessie paused, thinking. The idea wasn't so bad...she was being ignored...there's nothing to do since Bullseye's asleep...why not? "Hold on a sec."

"Sure."

The redhead turned to the direction of her brother. "Woody!" she called, "Can I have a friend over?"

"Go ahead! I think I know who anyway," came Woody's reply. She could hear the smile in his voice.

"'Kay! Thanks!" Jessie put the phone to her ear and withdrew her hand from the mouth piece. "Okay, Emily, you're set."

"Great! I'll be over in a few. Bye, Jess."

"Buh-bye." The line clicked.

How much _longer_ will this day last like this?


	7. Chapter 7

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Alrighty, next chapter. Oh, yeah, I just want to say that Emily had brown hair, since I refer to her as a 'brunette' here. I thought it was red, but I checked the second movie and I saw it was brown so I was like 'Ohh.' Hehehe. **

**By the way, thanks to everyone who's been reading this story and reviewed! It's nice to get feedback every now and then. I'm glad you guys like it so far. Okay, on to the story!**

_Ages:_

_Buzz, Jessie, Emily - 14 _

_Woody, Hannah(?) - 16_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Jessie stood leaning against the countertop, holding a glass of orange juice in her right hand. She was nervously awaiting the arrival of her best friend, the same girl who had suddenly made Buzz look more boyfriend-material than he actually seemed like. If he got through Emily with high marks on her 'Good BF List,' then she would definitely make him and Jessie get together, despite any objections. There will be no possible way to stop her after that. Great.

A few minutes later, the doorbell was forcibly rung (repeatedly) and there were groans of protest from the other room. Knowing very well who it was, Jessie placed her juice down and walked to the door, putting on a friendly smile to hide her obvious uneasiness. The door barely opened before Emily slipped in and closed it behind her. She gave Jessie a sneaky wink and motioned for her to keep silent. Tip-toeing without a sound, she peeked into the living room where sounds of gunshots and screeches were coming from the television screen, smirking. Jessie herself looked over to the boys and was unsurprised to find them oblivious to their stares, clearly unaware of either girl's presence. She doubted they even noticed Emily had entered. (She knew Woody didn't say anything because he had already been warned.)

After a few moments of observing, Emily turned around to face her friend with a serious expression. "Jessie...he's a _gamer_..."

The other girl almost laughed. "Oh...okay..."

"Yeah. Are you willing to be with someone who is constantly playing some video game?"

"Milly, he just saw the game now. I mean, you can't blame him for wanting to try out a new release thing."

"Oh, good, it's only this once?"

"Erm...I guess so."

"Sweet. Okay, okay, now we have to find out his personality! Y'know, other than what you told me." Emily grinned devilishly, already a warning sign that something was about to go wrong.

"Uh...maybe later—"

"No, no, now. Besides, I came prepared for this." She glanced quickly at the boys before walking into the kitchen, dragging Jessie beside her. When they were positioned near the opening of the kitchen that led to the living room, Emily gasped falsely (but still very believably) covering her mouth with one of her hands_. "Jessie!"_ she whispered loudly, grabbing the two boys' attention, "I just remembered! I heard _You-Know-Who_ wants to get back with you!"

Jessie was, without a doubt, completely impressed with the act. It sounded sincere, honest, and not to mention intriguing. There were no giggles and the tone was even. _'Amazing.'_ The redhead pretended to look annoyed and surprised, keeping a straight face. "What? No he doesn't!"

"Yes he does, girl, his friend told me to tell you!" Emily inwardly complimented her friend about picking up on her idea so quickly.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes! Y'know, he's gonna call you one of these days. Wait, wait, or he'll ask you on Monday!"

"Woah."

"Yeah! So, what're you gonna do?"

Jessie kept silent on this one; she was too worried about the outcome of playing along further. What if Buzz thinks she's_ not_ interested at all? What if he thinks she was just _messing _with him? That would be horrible...

"Oh, hey, Woody!" called Emily, understanding her friend's hesitation and wanting to save her from embarrassment.

"Hey, Emily," replied Woody, grinning at her. He turned to Buzz, who had gone strangely quiet. "Say, you wanna take a break, Buzz? We've been at this for a while..."

"Huh? Yeah, of course," replied the other boy, pausing the game. Together, they walked into the kitchen. The older teen went over to the refrigerator, examining the contents a little_ too_ thoroughly. "You guys want juice?" he asked them, still not looking up. When they all nodded and mumbled a shy 'yes,' he pulled out a pitcher of orange juice and placed it on the small island before obtaining four glasses from the cupboards. After distributing the drinks, he sat on one of the stools near them, facing them calmly. Emily understood the silent hint and beamed at Buzz.

"Hey, I don't think I've ever met you before. I'm Emily."

"Hello. My name's Buzz," replied the blonde boy with that same leader-like tone he had when he first introduced himself to Jessie. He offered his hand and Emily shook it, still smiling. There was this glint in her eyes as she looked at her best friend, practically saying _"Nice!"_

"So tell me about you, Buzz," the brunette continued, smirking at her best friend's widening eyes.

"Oh, uhm...well, I don't know what to say—"

"Tell me your hobbies. Any sports?"

"Ah, alright. Well, I do some martial arts—self-defense of course—and I, erm..."

"Ooh, you can fight! How _manly_, huh, Jess?"

_'You are so evil,'_ thought Jessie in annoyance. However she managed a weak "yeah" to the question instead.

"How 'bout hobbies?" Emily snickered at the other girl.

"Oh," Buzz said, frowning, "I don't really have much time for that. With schoolwork and all..."

"What? Oh, no, come on, Buzz. School doesn't bother you on weekends!"

"But it's not just school. I take...extra classes on other subjects." He looked embarrassed, seeing their amazed expressions. "To help for college," he added in explanation.

"Oh," the three other teens said in unison.

"Well, you seem pretty okay, Buzz," Emily concluded after some thought. _'Maybe a bit too over-achieving, though.'  
_  
"Thank you. You're really nice as well, Emily."

She giggled, clutching Jessie's arm. "Well, we're gonna go do our hairs. Bye, boys." The two girls left, not sharing a word as they did so. The moment they reached Jessie's bedroom and shut the door, however, Emily turned to her friend and squealed happily.

"He's a keeper!"

"What?" asked the other girl, walking over to her bed to pet her dog. That managed to get her friend's attention.

"You got a doggy?"

"Yeah, meet Bullseye. Aw, he's sleeping, though."

"What a cutie! He's so huge and furry!" Emily sat on the bed and ran a hand through the dog's hairy back.

"Yeah..." Jessie mumbled, leaning back and looking at the ceiling.

"Anyway, I think you made a good choice, girl. He seems like a true gentleman. At least for now," continued Emily with a soft smile.

"I know."

"...were you serious on the whole 'not a couple' thing?"

"Yes, I was."

"Oh..." There was a moment of silence. "Jess? You know that he'll be worth it, right?"

To this there was no response. Jessie knew that...but there was some doubt at the back of her mind. Everything she felt about Buzz up until now...always had some sort of doubt hidden amongst all the other feelings. Yet it was only now, when she was being asked to make a _choice_, that she had actually considered the fact that maybe the boy wasn't truly worth it. He caused her so much pain, didn't he? If Emily had asked her this question, _"You know he'll be worth it, right?"_ before when they had first met last week, Jessie would most definitely have said 'yes.' But currently, after everything...she wasn't sure anymore. Yes, she did want to be with him like that...but yet no, she didn't want to hurt. Would she really throw caution to the winds and blindly _pursue _him like that? Would she really give someone else, someone she had just met, a chance to break her heart all over? Would she, really?

But as Jessie stared into Emily's hopeful and encouraging face, grinning at her, she remembered that it had taken a lot of courage to trust this girl as well. And now? They're inseparable best friends. Sometimes, risks were worth it. Why not take another one now?

"...yes, Emily. I _know_ he's worth it."

* * *

"So, uhm, Woody...you and Jessie are siblings, huh?" _'Wow,' Buzz thought in annoyance, 'that was the lamest thing I've ever said.'"_

"Hmm? Oh, yeah..." replied the older boy, not noticing the awkwardness of the question.

"Heh, ahem, yes..."

"We don't look alike, do we?"

"Well... I mean, now that I know—uh, I meant that since you told me—uhm..."

"Don't worry, Buzz, I didn't mean anything," Woody chuckled. "You and Jess are lab partners, right?" he added after remembering what his sister had said.

"Ah, yes. We are..."

"How's that coming along?"

"...good. But now that you think about it, we have a lot to catch up on."

"Hey, you're welcome to come here to work anytime, alright?"

"Really? How generous of you."

"How _formal_," teased Woody, "and don't worry about it. I'm sure your project will be great. After all, you two seem like a good team."

"Thank you." Buzz smiled, quietly putting his game controller down and leaning back slightly. Woody did the same.

It was silent for a moment.

"Does...she hate me...?" whispered Buzz suddenly, staring intently at his new friend's eyes. It was an abrupt (and random) question, but he had blurted it out without a thought. Jessie had been, to him at least, giving mixed signals. Maybe in her eyes she wasn't, but that was how he saw it. There were times where he felt close to her, almost as though they've been friends for years. Yet there were other moments where the two of them were simply enemies. Now? There was a third party. What the heck was that _moment_ between them before that mutt had barged in? Now was the first time he even recognized the little exchange. Did that mean something? Did he_ want_ it to mean something? _'Wait—someone's talking...'_

"...really what you think? No! Of course not, what makes you say that?" Woody was saying, maybe a little too confidently. Luckily, Buzz didn't look into it.

"I don't know...just sometimes I think we got off on the wrong foot and now she despises me for it. And every smile she puts on...is just a mask to keep me from feeling offended."

"No, I doubt that. I'm sure you're both good friends for real."

"Really?" Buzz sounded hopeful, despite his attempts to hide it.

"Of course! It's just...she's a little…_shy_," Woody finished lamely. _'Shy? Jessie? Really?'_ But he didn't want to give out certain information.

"Oh. Weird, she seemed outgoing..."

"Heh, well, yeah..."

"So, she doesn't hate me?"

"Nope."

"She sees me as a friend, right?"

"Uh, yeah..." _'Or something else...'_"Great. Good to know. Thank you, Woody."

"No problem, Buzz, no problem..."

They took their remotes and resumed the game.

* * *

"Okay, Jess, so you _do_ want to date him?" demanded Emily for the eighth time.

"Yes! Okay, I do! Stop asking me that!" groaned Jessie in exasperation, burying her head under a pillow. Her friend took it from her and giggled, lightly hitting the other girl's face with it.

"Then my plan has now been set into _action._"

"What?"

Suddenly, Emily was walking out the room with a smug expression, lightly humming a tune as she entered the living room. Jessie did not want to be part of the 'plan,' so she settled for peeking out her door and eavesdropping.

She could barely hear what her friend was saying, though.

"Hey, Woody, me and Jessie were just thinking about going to that diner nearby. Y'know, to hang out."

Woody looked surprised for a moment, but before he could reply, Emily went on.

"You and Buzz can come, too, if you like."

The boys exchanged confused glances but agreed all the same. "Sure."

"Great! We'll just be getting ready…" The girl smiled at them and waved, turning around to head back to her friend's room. When she got there, she was welcomed by an annoyed Jessie.

"What happened? What did you say?"

"We, my dear Jessie, are going to get you a boyfriend." With that, Emily took the other girl's arm and yanked her into the bathroom to fix her hair.

* * *

"Woah, girl, you are absolutely _adorable_!"

Jessie looked embarrassed as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was down, with a few small braids hanging loosely on the side. She was wearing a nice dark-green shirt and a pair of skinny jeans, topped off with a cute necklace Woody had given her as a birthday gift last year. Emily had insisted on putting some lip-gloss on before finishing her job. The brunette smiled at her friend, nodding in approval. "Perfect. It's all natural, so it's not like we dressed you up, huh?"

"But Milly, isn't this a little too much?" Jessie asked self-consciously.

"No, it's fine. Besides, what you were wearing looked too…under-dressed, don't you think?"

"I guess so…"

"Okay, we're good to go! I can't wait to see the look on Buzz's face when he sees you all cute…"

The two girls walked out of the room, trying to keep from giggling as much as possible. True to Emily's word, both boys seemed taken with Jessie's appearance. Unfortunately, Woody chose to talk to his sister the same time Buzz ogled at her (trying to be inconspicuous and failing at it), so she couldn't really see his expression. Emily could, obviously, as she was silently shaking with laughter beside him.

After a small chat (during which Jessie also left food and water for Bullseye) the four teenagers exited the house, happy to be outside in the sun. The walk to the diner wasn't very far; it was about the same distance as the walk to school. However, they got there quickly thanks to the deserted streets and lack of cars to cause traffic.

Wheezy's Diner was run by an old man who had a wheezy voice. (Hence the name 'Wheezy's.') He was very kind and made the best food in the neighborhood. He had joked that he went by "Wheezy" simply because it _"matches the gimmick and this voice."_ Woody knew him personally since he worked at the diner on some days after school. In his eyes, he felt like he needed to make some money so that he and Jessie wouldn't have to be so dependent on the small fortune their aunt had generously given them. Wheezy had a soft spot for Jessie, saying she reminded him of his daughter that had already grown up and now lived in the city. (She sometimes got free ice-creams when she helped Woody with work.) But there was no doubt that Wheezy's was the favorite for everyone.

As they entered the diner, the smell of grilling burgers and fries overwhelmed the four. "Good afternoon," called Wheezy cheerfully, visible through a tiny window by the long counter and flipping patties on the grill.

"Hey, Wheezy," Woody called back. He received a thumbs-up in return. They went towards the back of the diner where all the booths were and chose one near the pinball machines and the small crane-game. Emily tried to get Jessie to sit next to Buzz, but that backfired on her when she realized that the seat only held two people on a side and Buzz had already chosen the space next to Woody. She sighed in defeat, sitting down on the empty spot next to her best friend, but brightened instantly when she realized Jessie was right across the blonde. _'Perfect.'_

The waitress came later, wearing the standard 'Wheezy's' apron and a name tag that read _"Hi, my name is Hannah."_ She looked about Woody's age (give or take a year) and she seemed friendly enough.

"Hey, there," she said brightly, "my name is Hannah and I'll be your waitress. Would you like me to bring some drinks first?"

"Hi," Woody said, politely smiling at the girl, "yes, I'll take a Coke and—" He looked around the table patiently.

"I'll have the chocolate malt shake," Jessie said quickly.

"Just a Coke, please," Emily added after a moment.

"Alrighty," Hannah said, writing down the drinks. Finally, she turned her attention to Buzz, still smiling, "And you, sir?"

Buzz looked confused as he stared at the menu. When he lifted his gaze, he met Jessie's at once, and she could see the look of _"Help me!"_ in his eyes. She understood it, of course, although how was a mystery to herself. "He'll have what I'm having," she told the waitress nicely.

Hannah smiled, and scribbled the order on the note pad. "So two Cokes and two chocolate shakes?" When they nodded in confirmation, she beamed at them and said, "Okay, I'll get those for you now."

"Thank you," Woody said. Jessie caught the blush in the girl's cheeks as she nodded and left.

Buzz sighed in relief and grinned at her. "Thank you so much, Jessie."

"You're welcome, Buzz," she replied, with a knowing smile. "I hope you don't mind the drink. But they make the best here!"

"I'm sure I'll love it."

"Sorry for that, but I've never eaten here before...so..."

Emily looked taken aback and amazed. "What? Really? But everyone's been to Wheezy's!"

"It's because he isn't from here, right, Buzz?" Jessie quickly cut in, noting the boy's obvious discomfort.

"Yes, I transferred schools," he added, grateful for the save from his partner. _'Second save? Wow, I owe her now…'  
_  
"Oh," Emily paused. "Cool, we'll be the people you're with at your first Wheezy's!"

Woody laughed and nudged Buzz on the arm. "That's true."

Jessie giggled as their new friend blushed in embarrassment, but he looked happy and relaxed either way. The two made eye-contact yet again and this time he winked at her.

Who wouldn't _love_ Wheezy's Diner?


	8. Chapter 8

****

Super Nova

Author's Notes: Hey, guys! Look, I'm sooo sorry I haven't been updating! I had a lot going on. Also, I had a momentary writer's-block, but I hope that it doesn't last.

**By the way, Ken kinda does seem odd, but think of it as a mask to hide his true self! Heheh. Woody is how he is at the end so that you all get that _nobody messes with the Sheriff._**

**Okay , here you go!**

_Ages:_

_Buzz, Jessie - 14_

_Woody, Bo, Ken - 16_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

There were always something about Mondays that made it unbearable to everyone. Perhaps because it was the beginning of a school day. Maybe it was simply the fact that it would be the day of waking up early after a nice weekend. Or just because it was Monday, a day to hate with no questions asked. Or answered, for that matter.

Whatever the reason was, Jessie hated Mondays. More so than everybody else. She was currently sitting at the back of her Science class, eyes staring blankly out the window. How ironic; outside it was sunny with the perfect amount of clouds peppering the forget-me-not blue sky. It wasn't at all blazing hot or freezing cold. It was simply neutral, the best weather one could get.

The girl sighed, dropping her head in her arms and shutting her eyes briefly. What had she done to deserve this?

* * *

Late.

Jessie was late for English class.

The class where the teacher came in five minutes after the final bell had rung. Sometimes even later.

And what? She was late for _that._

So far, nobody in the whole class (probably the whole school) had ever entered the classroom _after_ Mr. Hamm. That was something even the slowest person could do with ease. Like there was an unspoken universal law that stated anybody and everybody could arrive before the English teacher. And yet it was Jessie, athletically good-at-gym Jessie, who had stumbled into the door after Hamm had, surprising every single one of her classmates.

"My, my, Miss Jessie, are we running_ this_ late? Do you have a note at the very least?" Mr. Hamm didn't even bother hiding the obvious amusement and shock in his voice.

"N-no," mumbled Jessie, her cheeks heating considerably. She wished her classmates would stop staring at her and smirking.

"Oh. Well, go find a seat. Ah, there's one right up here. Go on—" He waved her towards the desk at the front of the class, by his table, right next to that nerd from the first day. _Wonderful._ As she sat down wordlessly, she wondered whether Buzz was one of the people smirking and laughing at the scene. She hoped not; that would've been worse than everyone in the entire school making fun of her.

_'Maybe it'll get better later...'_

Yeah, right.

After English was Math. The worst class, in her opinion, ever invented. Which person with _nothing_ else to do in life began the whole thing? If it wasn't necessary, Jessie wouldn't have even taken the course at all. But no, people needed to know how to solve the Pythagorean Theorem, and they simply must be able to perfect the quadratic formula. And geometry! Oh, who could overlook the pretty _shapes_? Why, you needed to know how to find the area and volume of _everything_! Really, that was relatively pointless, to her, at least. All people needed to know were simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. And there were calculators for that! They're not even hard to get; some come free with a purchase of a _'deluxe-silver two pack pen set'_! Amazing what people come up with to sell their products. Anyway, chances are no one would even use the pens; they would all want the scented calculator that came with it instead. (Yes, they have those now.) What a waste of good material.

That class, the teacher announced that the test results would be returned. As usual, there were the classic groans and "damn it"s from the students, mixed along with confident smirks with "that was so easy" and uncaring shrugs. Jessie was, predictably, part of the groaners. She _thought _"damn it," but didn't bother to say it aloud this time.

Once the class had quieted down a bit, the teacher went around passing the score sheet, keeping her face as even as possible. When she reached Jessie, however, she looked at her with worried eyes and placed the paper face-down onto the desk as she had with everyone else. The redhead blinked in confusion and lifted the sheet, only to fold it twice and stuff it in her pocket a moment later after seeing the **'See me after class'** where the score was supposed to be. That was definitely not what she wanted.

There were two possible reasons for this: one, her score was so impressive that the teacher wanted to personally congratulate her for the perfection of the exam, or her score was so horridly low that she would get private discussion about improving her math skills. As satisfying as the first reason was, Jessie knew that it was too irrational and that she would have to settle for assuming the worst.

After all, if you set your expectations very low and the outcome is truly better, then wouldn't it be _you_ feeling relieved and joyful? That sounded promising.

With that in mind, the teen shook her head to clear the bad feelings (that had undoubtedly hidden amongst her nervousness) and proceeded to act as if nothing would happen after the hour of learning about numbers.

"Ah, Miss Jessie...just wait a second," Mrs. Trixie said, smiling at the young student, reaching into the drawer under the spacious desk and pulling out a certain packet. It was, unlike everyone else's written in red marker at the front cover. Jessie noticed this and her heart sank. _'Yup...worse...'_

"Well, I assume you know why I wanted to see you?"

"Yes...the packet thing..."

"Mmm-hmm." The teacher sighed, handing the papers to the girl sympathetically. "I'm afraid so."

There, highlighted by red ink at the front page, was a fifty-one-over-two hundred. Beside it was a simple **'far below basic.'**

"I-I—" stuttered the teen, eyes wide in shock. Yes, she had braced herself for the worse...but this was too much.

"I know, sweetie, I know. But don't you worry; it doesn't count as a grade."

"B-But I failed!"

"No, no, this just an evaluation test. Just for me to see...where you stand from here." Mrs. Trixie straightened her posture, gazing calmly at her student. "I just want to know if you want after school help. Is there not someone at home to ask about the problems and equations?"

"I—" Jessie paused, frowning. She never _did_ ask Woody much on homework; she found it okay enough and doable. But...maybe because she'd been doing the wrong thing all along. No wonder the test had felt so easy! She wasn't even properly completing it. But there _was_ someone to help her. "Yes, I have a brother."

"That's good, but I mean a parent figure or guardian."

"He is my guardian."

"Oh," the woman looked confused for a moment. "I see. Well, I still would like you to practice more after school hours."

* * *

_Practice more after school hours._

Yes, all that had happened on one day. One Monday. So now, Jessie had no reason to not hate the day.

Science was, so far, quiet and collected. Nothing bad had happened to her just yet. _Yet._ Now, she was convinced that something terrible would occur and she would just die of shame afterwards. That would be completely perfect to top the day.

At the moment, her eyes were shut, head down, and her face was hidden by her arms. She did not notice the chair move beside her and someone's "Hey, Jess," until said person nudged her.

Looking up, Buzz's grinning face seemed much more breath-taking with the correct lighting from behind him. It reminded Jessie of the cheesy romance movies where the girl sees her potential love surrounded with roses and a beautiful light that made him shine. Well, the only thing missing for her was the 'roses' part.

"Oh. Hi, Buzz."

"Something wrong? You seem awfully distracted." He turned his chair so he was facing her, concern clearly visible upon his face. "Anything I can do to help?"

Jessie smiled, but barely. "No, not really," she sighed, slowly shaking her head.

"What's wrong, though?"

"Uhm, well...I kinda failed this _'evaluation test'_ so my teacher thinks I need a tutor."

"Really?" It amazed Buzz how Jessie actually looked like a normal teenage girl with problems; her independence and personality made her seem too mature, too unlike a kid. It was interesting to see her moody over a simple test that did not even really matter. In a way, they were alike, never bothering to act like their age at times. Acting like they were adults and had to face adult issues. She had, of course, reasons to act like that; if your parents died early and you were faced with unbearable betrayal at such a young age, would you really see everything with a child's perspective? When you think everyone in the world could be your friend? Where you see fun everywhere, overlooking the pain of real-life situations such as lying and death? Unemployment? Hurt?

As a child, even as a teenager, you were blissfully unaware of everything. Yet...at the time, the feeling was nice. Comforting. Now? When you see it all with mature eyes? That feeling...was strange. Dumb, even. But that's only because you know. Now.

"Buzz, I feel so pathetic."

The blonde snapped out of his thoughts, surprised. Jessie, _pathetic_? "No, you're not." He sounded a little to stern for his liking.

"What makes you say that? I _am_ the only one who failed the ungraded test! How can you fail something that doesn't really have a score?"

"It must've been challenging," Buzz dismissed, frowning, "I'm sure the standards for Calculus are much harder in that test."

"Calculus?" Jessie repeated blankly, confused.

"I—what? You're not taking that class?"

"Calcu—no! I'm in Algebra One!"

"What? B-But that's the _lowest_ math group in high school!"

"Gee, thanks," the girl muttered sourly, looking away to hide her blushing state. _'Stupid...'_

"I—no—see—"

"Forget it."

"I—sorry," mumbled Buzz, turning slightly red. "I meant that I thought you were in...an advanced class."

"Why?"

"You seem so...smart, I suppose."

"Really, now? Well, hate to disappoint you, Buzzy, but that's not too much the case. I'm decent in school, alright? Average."

"You seem extraordinary, though."

Jessie was definitely blushing now. That wasn't really flirting, but hey, it was a heck of a compliment. Seriously, how many teenage boys call you _extraordinary_? Uh-huh, not much. The same way as they refer to girls as 'hot' or 'cute' instead of beautiful and gorgeous. "Thanks, Buzz."

He grinned. "Hey, if you want, I could give you the help. Math is one of my stronger classes."

"Oh? Really? Let me guess; you're in the Honors class."

"Nope. Calculus, actually." _'Ironically enough.'_

Jessie's eyes widened. "What? No way!"

"Why?" Buzz asked innocently, watching her with amused eyes. "In my old school, I was already taking that for freshman year."

_'Of course, the rich academy.'_ "Ah."

_**Ring!**_

"Alright, class, partner up and get to work! You'll never know when I tell you all to hand the projects in," Mr. Rex announced cheerfully, smiling at all his students. Following that was the movement of chairs and the scraping of the metal desk legs against the smooth surface of the floor. Buzz and Jessie were right next to each other already, so all they had to do was scoot their desks closer and sit down. With no time to chat anymore, the two began to work, continuing where they left off from last class. (Neither had done work over the weekend.)

Although she was writing paragraphs about volcanic rocks, Jessie could only think of the offer her partner had given her before class.

_"Hey, if you want, I could give you the help..."_

* * *

Woody laughed, shaking his head at Bo.

"That is the strangest thing I have ever heard."

"What? C'mon, Woody, a dream is a dream! It wouldn't be any fun if it was _boring_!"

"I suppose…alright, go on."

"Okay, okay. So I was finally with the weird sheep and they told me to get away from this flying pig or else I'd die by monkeys or something."

"…wow, what do you do in your spare time, Bo?"

"Shh! Anyway, then I woke up 'cause Emily's alarm clock wouldn't go off."

They were under a shady tree, sitting and just talking. At the moment, dreams were the topic of their conversation. It was Gym class, one of the few the two friends shared. Since it was the last period and their teacher was particularly tired that day, the students had been given free activity.

So far, the two have been chatting and relaxing, away from the rest of the class. From anyone's point of view who caught sight of them, it would've looked like a couple spending a cute little inside-the-school-date.

"My dreams are usually random."

"Really? Like what, Woody?"

Before he could respond, one of the girls that saw them happened to be Bo's friend, and she quickly ran over to the 'couple' and grabbed the blonde girl, hissing "Come with me! I have to show you something!"

With that, they sped off; (Bo mouthed "Sorry!") leaving Woody by himself. He didn't mind too much; he was used to the weird girl behavior. However, he was a little disappointed that their conversation had been interrupted. After all, it took a lot of guts to ask her to come with him by herself. For some reason, girls were always with a group of friends no matter what, so it was relatively difficult to get one alone without causing gossip. And the _giggling_! What was with that?

Not soon later, a group of boys had appeared near the tree, looking uncharacteristically serious as far as teenagers go. One of them, the tallest in the group, approached the unsuspecting brunette, folding his arms in annoyance.

_"Woody."_

The so called boy jumped in surprise, but he didn't look at all nervous, no doubt what the group of teens expected. He turned around so be was facing the person who had said his name and almost frowned. Still, he kept a friendly, even face. "Hey there, Ken."

The other guy smirked. "You won't be smiling like that later, pretty boy." Woody raised his eyebrows, but remained silent, as the taller continued talking. "Listen, I saw you. _With my girlfriend_."

_'Here we go.'_ "No, actually, since she isn't your girlfriend. As far as I remember, you two broke up on the first day of school last week."

"Hmph." Without warning, Ken ran at the sitting, unsuspecting teen and grabbed his throat, slamming him against the tree. Caught with surprise, Woody stared in uneasiness at the offending boy.

"Aww, poor pretty-Woody scared? Now, shut up and listen. Not that you have a choice." The grip tightened, and the group behind them cheered. "Bo is mine. I don't care if she says we're over. And I don't need you of all people messing up her mind. I'm warning you; leave her alone unless you_ want _to get hurt." With that, Ken released his hold, snickered at the dazed Woody, and ran off with his group, clearly to avoid any teachers.

For a moment, the brunette just sat there, gasping for breath. When he calmed downed, he grimaced at the direction the boys fled off to, sighing.

"I would fight him, but I don't need to sink to his level." He got up and brushed the dirt of his shirt and pants. "However, I _will_ break his arm if he chokes me again. Heh, for self-defense."


	9. Chapter 9

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Okay, next chap! Just a quick note: Al and Pete are brunettes. Heheh. Oh, and I apologize for any grammar and spelling errors. (This goes for the whole story.)**

**'Kay, enjoy!**

_Ages:_

_Jessie, Buzz, Pete, Amy - 14_

_Al - 15_

_Woody - 16_

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Sedimentary. Metamorphic. Igneous. Sedimentary rocks are...from boiling lava? Wait, no, no, that's metamors? Metamorphus? Meta-meta-what? Sediment-i-ous...? _Ignimorphic?_

_"What?"_ Jessie hissed finally, glaring at the page. She had been working for too long on the same thing, reading the same line over and over again. And still she could not get the information to sink in! The same amount of time it took her to read a small paragraph, Buzz had already finished another lengthy page on the report, his laptop screen brightly showing off the work.

He had, of course, already noticed his partner's lack of focus after observing her staring blankly at one spot on the science book for about ten minutes. Tactfully, he did not mention anything and simply resorted to working extra harder, for her sake. For once, he did not question his actions about doing work for other people. Normally he would've just done his part on the project and allow his partner to catch up, only helping if required. Yet, for some reason, he didn't even let the thought pass, and instead acted on impulse. That was new...and strange. _'I mean...how could anybody say 'no' to that pretty face...?  
_  
_'Wait...did I just say pretty?'_

* * *

The walk home had never felt farther and so tiresome for Jessie. After what felt like the longest (and worst) school day of her life...you'd think the prospect of heading back to your house would be wonderful. Well...just the 'house' part; getting there was a different story. Oddly enough, Woody had called her and said he needed to run somewhere to "grab some food for dinner." This was unusual because usually her brother would have taken her with him to get something, especially food. Nevertheless, Jessie dismissed the unlikely behavior, too exhausted to really ponder on the thought. Finally, _finally_, she got to the driveway of their home and crossed the tidy yard, dragging her feet to the door. Once she unlocked it and stepped inside, Bullseye ran up to her and began to nuzzle her legs. For a change, she laughed. It felt good, too, since she had barely even smiled at all today. Quite nice.

_**BAM!**_

Suddenly, the door flew open to reveal a nervous Emily. The girl looked at Jessie with a horrified expression. _"Woody got ran over by a car!"_

Time stopped.

Everything stopped.

_"Come quickly! They're just outside!"_

The redhead allowed herself to be pulled into the street, barely moving her body at all.

_'This...is not happening..._

'First Mom and Dad...no, not him. Not my Woody.'

Then, after what felt like only seconds, they were there. At the accident.

A group of people were swarming around the **"CAUTION"** tape, whispering among themselves. Within the circle of police and paramedics was a body being treated. The car that hit him was nowhere to be found.

And that's when she snapped.  
_**  
"WOODY!"**_

Without hesitation, Jessie ran to the lifeless boy on the ground. Lifeless _brother_. Every single person seemed to vanish as she pushed passed them to get nearer. Every face that turned to look at her was unrecognizable.

When she reached him, he wasn't there. Instead, one of the doctors, who were undoubtedly in the ambulance that had suddenly arrived, walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry for your loss."

**...**

"M-my loss...?"

It hit her. Almost the same way as finding out her parents had died in a car crash. Irony was truly cruel. Although her mind was too numb to really think of anything, one small thought popped up in her mind.

_'This feels worse than finding out _they_ died.'_

Was that a horrible thought, even for her! But if you think about it...Woody _was_ the parent she was supposed to have lost. He became the parent that would love you unconditionally, no matter what happened. Once the initial shock had died, both of them had adjusted to each other being the only thing in the world to look after, to love.

When Jessie got married, Woody would be the one walking with her down the aisle. On her Sweet Sixteenth, _Woody_ would be the one to dance with her instead of her dad. When she got nightmares and was terrified, _Woody_ would be the one to hug her and sooth her until she fell asleep, promising not to leave her side no matter what.

But now...? Who would be the one to do that all? To fill in the position...?

_Why did this happen?_

The shock died.

_**"NOOOOOO!"**_

Darkness...

"_Jessie!_ Wake up!"

She was being shaken...couldn't they tell_ not_ to bother her...?

_"Jessie!"_

_'Stop it...I wanna die, too...'_

"Please!"  
_  
'Woody...I wonder where he is? Is he with __Mom and Dad__...?'  
_  
"Wake up! Why are you crying?"

_'Because I just lost my only family...leave me alone...I wanna...  
_  
"Jessie!"

_'...be alone...'_

Someone was touching her forehead...

"Damn it! She has a fever!"

_'...fever...?'_

_What?_

Jessie's eyes snapped open. She was lying down on her bed, the blanket on the floor due to her thrashing around. The lights were so bright, blinding her. She instinctively shut her eyelids and grabbed the nearest pillow to cover her face.

"Jessie...?" asked an attentive voice, shocking the girl into opening her eyes once more.

"W-Woody...?"

"Yeah? What's up?"

And then she did the most unlikely thing (in Woody's opinion) for someone with a fever who refused to wake up: she hugged him. Tight, too, since his ribs began to hurt under the pressure. Her face was buried in his shirt, and he distinctly heard sobbing. _'Poor girl,'_ he thought sympathetically. Naturally, he squeezed her back, not saying a thing.

They remained like that for a few minutes, Jessie's sobs become less and less vocal until she was reduced to quiet sniffling. After another moment, she finally looked up, observing his face as if making sure what was happening was real.

It was.

"Oh...oh, my gosh..." she whispered in relief. A dream. A nightmare. That's all...

"You okay, Jess? Bad dream?"

"H-horrible..."

Woody knew the drill all too well; it had happened a lot of times before, prior to their parents' death. Jessie would wake up in hysterics and he would go and comfort her until she settled down.

Well, check those off... After that, into the kitchen for ice-cream or hot chocolate. Or really whatever she wanted...

The silence lasted longer than either of them could remember in all the after-nightmare-moments they both experienced. Jessie was too deep in thought, too jittery.

For her, it was the rudest awakening she had ever had, figuratively speaking, of course. Her dream had just made her realize how possible it could be for anyone to_ die _like that. It made her aware that she could as easily lose Woody as she did her parents. Funny, she had felt that her _'mature'_ eyes had enough experience of death and hurt, betrayal and depression. She had completely overlooked the obvious possibility that her brother who she had, unknowingly, become so dependent on could...could...

If he was gone, which later he would, then what?

_"Jessie...c'mon, don't cry. Look, I know Mommy and Daddy aren't gonna be here to watch over us anymore, but I could still try. I mean, I've never been a dad before, so I don't really know. Maybe they'll have books on 'em or something...But I'll learn. Promise."_

_"R-really...?"_

_"Sure!"_

_"I want Mommy and Daddy, though...why did they leave us? Did they get tired of us already...?"_

_"No, no, Jess. Mommy always said that she loved us, didn't she? It was...just a mistake—"_

_"The stupid car! Why did it crash into them? Why didn't the driver see their car?"_

_"Jessie..."_

_"Why our parents? Why not someone else's?"_

_"Hey...don't say that..."_

_"Why not? That guy lived and Mom and Dad didn't! I don't care if he says 'sorry'!"_

_"I know..."_

_"I'll never forgive him!"_

_"Me, too. Never. But listen, we **will** be okay. So don't worry about it so much... I'll protect you from those other jerks out there, 'kay? Y'know, Sheriff Woody?"_

_"...yes. O-okay."_

_"And I'll be right behind you forever!"_

_"Promise you'll be there for me no matter what?"_

_"I promise."_

_"Really?"_

_"Really."_

It felt like a whole other lifetime when Woody promised her that. And, at that time, she believed it all. But now...was it really possible? To spend forever taking care of her? At one point, they _will _have to get married to someone, and then that'll be it. They _will_ have someone else to watch over and love. Someone else to comfort and trust. Sure, they could visit each other, hang out and talk. It wouldn't be as if they will be_ forced _to forget.

But it will all be different. And once kids came along...Woody would have another someone to watch over _'forever.'_ She would as well. After that the way things were at the moment would cease to exist.

And college? He would definitely change. And that was in a short two years.

Forever will feel shorter than it sounds.

_Death_ changes that.

_"And I'll be right behind you forever!"_

"Really?" whispered Jessie sadly.

"Really, what?" Woody wondered in surprise.

"Nothing..."

"Oh. Okay. So, uhm, how 'bout some ice-cream and pizza? We could find a movie, too, if you want." He smiled and playfully tickled her side. It was the same exact thing he did after she had broken down after the promise he had made years ago.

"Forever?"

He understood then. Nodding, he patted her and kissed her forehead. "Yup."

It was then, seeing the same calm, comforting face and smile that had made itself distinguishable in her mind permanently…the same face she saw each and everyday…_then_ she knew that her brother was serious about watching over her _forever_. She didn't know how, but something told her it was the truth.

_'Be a kid and just believe it. What's the point of worrying about the future? You'll never know...'_

With that, Jessie smiled, focusing on the present. "Okay."

Mondays were still horrible...but at least she'll have a friendly brother to make it all better at the end.

Now and forever.

* * *

"Buzz! You have guests," called Zurg in the general direction of the boy. Within a few seconds, his son was at his side, looking positively serious.

"Of course, Father. May I ask who?"

"Your friends from...from you old school..."

"Ah."

The two entered the spacious living room, being too used to the breath-taking beauty to fully appreciate it anymore. The doorway leading outside were also as gorgeous and large; the double doors rose almost as tall as the ceiling, (which was saying something since the ceiling itself was up very high) and was made of the finest wood available. Beside the luxurious door was a group of kids; three, to be exact.

_"Buzz!"_ squealed Amy, running for the blonde and hugging him as she had several times. Behind her, the other two followed, omitting the girly squeal and flying-embrace. Instead, they grinned.

"Hey, Buzz," one said, punching him on the side.

"'Sup, Light-o," the taller one smirked jokingly.

"Hello, Al. Pete," Buzz replied politely, smiling at his friends. "What brings you here? On a weekday, as well."

"Eh, we had an off-day today." Pete shrugged.

"And we simply had to see you!" added the blonde girl delightedly.

"Sure, that's what she says," mumbled Al under his breath, rolling his eyes. _'Girls make everything sound so...flirty...'  
_  
"Well, standing here hardly looks appropriate. How about we settle down at the...entertainment room?"

Al laughed. "You mean your bachelor pad?"

_"Al!"_ said Amy with a reproachful look, "Don't say it like that!"

"Well, it is. He has a huge flat screen T.V, the_ biggest_ bean-bags in the world, a soda machine—no, _bar_, and a ref filled with chocolate and candy. What more can you want?" Pete said in awe. Even though his mom was relatively rich...she would never let him enjoy all those.

Chatting, the kids left for said room, deciding on the stairs instead of the mini-elevator. After passing through a 'hidden' door that was actually an aquarium tank filled with real sharks (small ones, of course!), they were greeted by bright lights and music. Buzz had been in the room before his father called him up, so it was well used; the television was on, music loud from the state-of-the-art sound system, and the ground was lit up so than the underwater-floor, filled with water and living fishes, was prettily visible. After being in this room too much beforehand, none of the kids were as amazed as they had been when they first passed through the waterfall-illusion at the beginning.

"Cool as always, Buzz."

"Enjoy yourselves," the owner of the room replied.

As usual, Al and Pete made their way to the large couch and bean-bags, both fighting for the remote. Amy, however, stood by Buzz until he offered his arm and walked her to the soda bar.

"Drink?" he offered, looking very much like a gentleman.

"Of course..." she batted her eyelashes, smiling. Unfortunately for her, the boy did not see this as he was reaching into a solid-gold cabinet and extracting an expensive looking glass.

"What would you like?"

"Oh, Buzzy, you know..."

He smiled. "Well, it's been a while, so I'm not sure whether your tastes have changed or not."

"It hasn't..."

With a graceful nod, Buzz turned around so he could get the Coke using the soda-hose, artfully topped with a platinum nozzle. Knowing his friend's liking, he also added a perfectly-cut lemon slice. From the average person's point of view, it looked exactly like a drink obtained from a five-star restaurant. To the maker, however, it was just good manners and proper gentlemanly details for guests.

"Here you go," he said cheerfully, handing the girl the drink.

"Thanks," she replied, not at all thinking about the elegance.

Casually, Buzz took a seat on the stool behind the soda-bar, keeping his back straight. He was taught never to slump your shoulders or lean back on chairs. Punishments for forgetting those tiny things were all too painful to forget. Sometimes, it was if he never left that school, never free from the strict rules. He was still too worried, thinking his father or butler would punish him for lack of decent manners. Although every now and then he would break a few rules, it wouldn't be the ones worth getting hit or shouted at over. But that's where he stops trying to cross that line. He knew his limits.

Soon, Al and Pete walked over to the bar, but their faces looked serious. They refused the drinks Buzz had offered them and merely sat on the other stools.

"Listen, Buzz, we got a few questions, if you don't mind."

"No, of course, ask away."

"Well," Al began, shaking his head, "I hear you know a girl named Jessie...uhm...I don't even know the last name... Well, I hear you know her anyway."

Buzz looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yes, I do."

Peter smirked. "Hate her?"

Surprised, the blonde boy raised his eyebrows. "Hate? Oh, no, we're good friends." _'I hope.'_

Amy snickered. "You _like_ that street rat?"

At this the two brothers laughed. "So true."

For the first time in all the years they knew him, Buzz looked angry at them. "That is a very rude comment."

Al and Pete only guffawed some more. Amy, however, looked bothered. "Y-you can't be _serious_."

"I just think it's impolite to talk about someone else like that behind their back."

"No...no, there's something else. Whatever. Now, listen to me. I don't want you getting mixed up with the wrong kind. Even though you go to that poor school...at least try to go with the good class. I know a few kids that attend that school who's parents don't want them spoiled. It's like their punishment. Although, I don't know exactly about your case..." She paused for 'dramatic effect' and missed the dark scowl on her blonde friend's face. "I'm sure you understand, right, Buzzy?"

"I'm not so sure if I do," was his cold reply.

Amy's eyes narrowed at the tone. "Trust me on this. You don't need trash like her screwing up your privileged life."

"Yeah, but if she does, just mention the word 'parents' and she'll break down completely!" Pete added brightly. Al laughed harder and slapped hands with his brother. _"Nice!"_

Buzz sighed in annoyance, rubbing his temples. _'Maybe...maybe Jessie was right...'_

Yes, she probably _is._


	10. Chapter 10

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Hey, hey. Sorry for the wait, but I've been busy. Also, due to the start of school, I have to say I might not be able to update as often as I would like. If Super Nova takes a while, I apologize. (Also, a big sorry to any bad grammar and spelling errors! I'm not a good typer...heh.)**

**Anyway, here it is! Next chapter.**

_Ages:_

_Jessie, Buzz, Pete, Slinky, Amy, Emily - 14_

_Al- 15_

_Woody, Bo, Hannah (?), Ken - 16_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"Jessie...are you sure you want to go out right now? I mean, you did have a fever..."

"I'm fine! And the thermometer said I didn't have a temperature!"

"Well..."

"Aw, c'mon Woody! You said anything..."

With a sigh, the brunette stood up and walked over to the chest by the door. The grandfather clock beside it read 5:00 P.M._ 'I guess it's not so late.'_

"Alright, Jess. You win. But if you feel tired or anything at all, tell me, okay?"

"'Kay!" agreed his sister brightly, already outside on the porch. She really needed this. After a bad dream during a supposedly 'innocent' nap...one needed to be comforted in more ways than usual.

Woody had applied for a special license that would allow him to be able to drive with a minor without a legal guardian sometime ago. Although the school had recommended him for it and he was an excellent driver, the actual test was yet to come. Apparently, certain people needed to agree in order for him to do so, but they had not been contacted due to busy scheduling.

Until then the two siblings walked or rode the bus to get to their destinations. Once they had gone horse-back riding, but that was when their parents were still alive.

Destination? Wheezy's.

Where else could someone get delicious comfort food?

The walk was pretty uneventful; unless talking about how horrid Jessie's day had been (she conveniently forgot to mention failing the test) counted. Woody apologized when he heard she was late for English, insisting that he should've applied for the privileged license sooner. They argued about whose fault being tardy was the whole way to the diner, teasing each other playfully in the process.

When they got inside, the same wonderful smell of food greeted them as it always had. Naturally, Wheezy gave a friendly bark of laughter when he saw them. Hannah was the waitress and, since she was just sitting on a stool and chatting with her boss with nothing to do, led the teens to a nice two-person booth and handed each of them a menu.

"Hi, you two," she said with a smile.

"Hello, Hannah," they chorused back at her.

"Can I get your drinks?"

"Yes, thank you," Woody replied nicely, not bothering with the menu anymore. "We'll have two double chocolate shakes and some fries."

"Alrighty, then." Hannah scribbled the order. "That all?"

"Yes."

"'Kay, I'll be back in a moment." With that, the girl walked away and into the kitchen.

_'She likes Woody,' _Jessie thought instantly as she watched the waitress leave.

"Excuse me, Jess. Bathroom." Casually, Woody stood up, grinning, and made his way towards the end of diner by the game machines (near the booth they were in last time); the bathrooms were a little farther back, though.

Jessie sighed, turning her attention to the silver napkin holder in front of her. She absently traced patterns on it with her finger, deep in thought.

The conversation she had with Emily before her nap was still quite fresh in her mind.

_"Jessie!"_

_"Huh? Yeah?"_

_"I asked whether you were going to the dance on Friday. Y'know, the formal one."_

_"Hmm? Oh, dance. Er, I don't know...maybe..."_

_"Maybe? What do you mean maybe?"_

_"I mean I might not go."_

_"Why not? You have a date, don't you?" Emily looked surprised and irritated at the same time._

_"Well..."_

_"What? Oh, no way...no, no. Has not one guy pluck up the courage to ask you yet?"_

_"No, Milly, not yet." Jessie laughed at this, not too worried about her future date and exactly how much nerve they had about asking her. "I'm guessing you have a date?"_

_"Yeah, girl. Len."_

_"Lenny?"_

_"Yeah, the blonde one." The brunette smiled dreamily, sighing._

_"Good for you."_

_"And speaking of blondes..."_

_'Oh, no.' "...hmm?"_

_"Hasn't that gamer asked you yet?" She never did let go of the fact Buzz had obsessed over that video game; the girl was too into small, easily overlooked details that "determine a guy's behavior" to let being a 'gamer' slide._

_Either way, the question was left unanswered._

"Jessie?"

The redhead's thoughts were interrupted by a very familiar voice. Looking up, Jessie saw a curious Bo grinning amusedly at her.

"B-Bo? Hi!"

"Hello...are you by yourself?"

"Me? Nah, just waitin' for Woody..."

"Oh? Is he here, too?"

"Yeah..." An idea came to mind. 'Perfect!' "Bo, why don't you sit with us? I'm sure Woody would be fine with it."

"Huh? Me? Oh, I couldn't...I mean, are you sure?"

"Positive! Did you order yet?"

"No, I just got here..."

"Jess, I'm back," said another voice but from behind the two girls. "Bo?"

"Woody!" said the blonde teen brightly, smiling at him.

He grinned back, blushing ever so slightly, as his sister noted. "Care to join us?"

About five minutes later, Hannah returned with the fries and drinks, while the teens already deep in conversation. She noticed Bo quickly and asked her if she would like something as well.

"Uhm..." The shakes caught her attention. "I'll have what they got."

"A double chocolate shake?" asked the waitress for confirmation.

"Y-yes..."

"Okay, I'll be back in a jiffy."

"C'mon, Bo, eat some fries," Woody said, motioning to the huge basket in the center of the table.

Jessie, on the other hand, was already nibbling on her fourth fry, momentarily losing her focus again.

_'How could I get Buzz to ask me?'_

The dance was not only a boy's choice; it would be fine for girls to do the hard work. In fact, half the couples going together had the girl offer the guy. Why couldn't they just go up, as Emily had stated, and pluck up the courage to say "Do you want to go to the dance with me?"? Jessie wouldn't mind at all.

But the question (which probably most girls wonder constantly about) still remains:

How do you get a guy to ask you to a dance without seeming too obvious and desperate? And without confusion, since most of them tend to be a little clueless on hints. Seriously. There are boys out there who will not understand "I like you" unless you scream it at their faces. Cute little clues were out of the question. Sometimes, if you're lucky, they don't get why you were shouting at them and, instead, ignore what you yelled and get offended by your raised voice. The best ones were the not-really-rejections when a guy takes the phrase 'I like you' literally (as in friend literal) and say they like you as well and start naming a bunch of people they also like. (I.E. My football team, my dad, my bro, all my friends, etcetera, etcetera.)

Was it possible that she would have to be the brave one? Really? Despite the fact that Buzz always seemed to hold a very proud outer-image? One that could make a military officer flinch?

She would've continued her thoughts had not Bo's question interest her:

"You guys going to the dance?"

Woody raised his eyebrows in surprise and Jessie stifled a giggle. _'Perfect timing.'_ She quickly shot her brother a death-glare, basically shouting at him _"Ask her! You said you would!"_

He, of course, could not refuse.

"I suppose me and Jessie are going to attend. Are you, Bo?"

"Oh, yeah, I have to be there," she sighed, shaking her head, "I don't think I'll ever be left alone if I stay Council President."

"You have a date yet?" Jessie was amazed at her brother's boldness; he didn't stutter or blush at all!

"No, but Ken thinks we're going together." The three of them grimaced, thinking of the somewhat girly teenager.

"Well, would you like to come with me?" Woody finally asked, blushing for once. It was now or never.

Bo was completely red all over. She looked helplessly embarrassed whilst trying not to look too pleased. "Uhm...I-I guess so. I'd like that, Woody."

The two smiled at each other nervously, but not in a negative way. Beside them, Jessie was holding herself from jumping up and shouting "FINALLY!" while doing fist pumps in the air. Instead, she laughed at the thought of seeing all the other girls' faces upon finding out her brother had a date.

_'Now only I'm alone in this romancing stuff.'_

* * *

"So, Buzzy..."

"Yes, Amy?"

Dinner was a quiet and relaxing affair, everyone being so taken with that evening's courses. Al and Pete were, as always, eating as much as possible and in such a little amount of time like they haven't been fed before. It amazed Buzz that the brothers could look so gentlemanly and polite as they stuffed down two steaks and potatoes apiece. Zurg barely paid attention since he had brought work to the table and was busy writing important notes in a very business like manner. Every now and then he would look up and give the kids a smile before returning to his scribbling.

Amy, it seemed, was the only one trying to make conversation. "I heard you're having a cute little dance at your school this week."

"We are," Buzz replied, remembering the many flyers and morning announcements ever since the end of last week. Cheerleaders even found ways to advertise the event during practice.

"Are you going?"

"Hmm. At the moment, I don't know."

"Do you even have a date yet?" The girl smiled knowingly, tilting her head in over-exaggeration.

Buzz looked uncomfortable, small patches of pink covering his smooth face. He hesitated before answering. "I...don't..."

_'Jackpot!'_ "Oh? Anyone in mind?"

At this he swallowed nervously. Yes, there was someone in mind. Jessie. But he really wouldn't say so to other people; what if she said no? Then he'd have to explain that he got rejected to Amy, Al, and Pete... He inwardly shuddered at the thought. "No, nobody in mind."

"Really now?" Amy's voice was dripping with false sweetness. "Well, why don't you bring me? I'd be glad to see your school."

Everyone within hearing range of the suggestion stopped eating (in Zurg's case multitasking) and stared at both blondes. They were all surprised at the idea that the two might possibly get back together; Buzz had made it clear before that he did not feel comfortable dating Amy after their had 'spark' ended.

"I—"

"That-that does sound like a good idea!" interrupted Zurg suddenly, sounding very cheerful. His son turned to look at him in horror; since he felt that he could never disobey his father, Buzz had no choice but to accept.

After all, he wanted to be the perfect son.

"O-of course. Amy, I would be thrilled if you agreed to be my date on Friday evening."

And yet he couldn't feel any worse.

* * *

Jessie had never appreciated Tuesdays as much as she did now. Then again, the day before was very, in the most polite terms, terrible. Unlucky. Bad. Stupid.

_You name it!_

Looking up, the door of Science class seemed much more intimidating than usual. No doubt Buzz was the cause of all this.

_'I might have to ask him.'_

Really, she did. But being a girl, her pride was very important in romance. Imagine the shame of being rejected by someone you like! That was one thing that required experience instead of knowledge. Luckily, she had never truly been turned down; she did not like opening up to guys, so the opportunity was denied. A few times, Jessie was the one to say "No," but she made it as polite and kind as possible. Of course, there were some clingy jerks that had pushed her to be cold and harsh; how else will they learn? A simple "I'm really touched, but I just can't see us dating right now. I'm sorry" will just make them laugh and bother you more. Nope, being assertive takes care of everything.

Now, Buzz was different.

He was sweet, a gentleman, mature, and very independent. Something most guys take a lifetime to achieve (even more, actually). Teenage boys were simply childish morons, at least, the majority of them.

So that partially relaxed Jessie about mentioning the dance.

How to go about doing it, though?

"Hey, wanna come with me to the dance?"

Eh, too blunt and no safety nets. That would leave total chaos when they tell you they have a date.

"How about we go to the dance together since we both're dateless?"

It might work, but then it requires finding out if he was 'dateless' or not. He couldn't have a date, could he? Who else at school did he know?

"Dance?"

...No._ No_, that would be very awkward. It was an open-ended question, and one word! What would you say if someone came up to you randomly and said _"Dance?"_

Ah, imagine the possibilities.

It amazed Jessie that she was already at her desk in no time; why is it everything went faster when you didn't want it to? Same goes the other way around.

"Jessie?"

She jumped and looked at the direction of the voice; Buzz.

Wow, how could she not notice him sitting next to her?

"H-hi there, partner..."

About fifteen minutes in the class, working on the project, Jessie could no longer stand the wait.

"So you going to the dance?"

"Hmm? Me?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh. Uhm. Yes, I guess so." Very unlike himself, Buzz fidgeted in his seat, blushing. He was so nervous that he kept messing up the words he typed on his laptop. Why, though?

"Oh..." _Now or never_! "You got a date?"

"...I-I—yes...I do...Amy..."

His partner's hand slipped as she was drawing a diagram of the rock cycle (teachers actually like things you didn't just copy and paste of the Internet!) and a huge, uneven pen mark appeared across the whole page. The girl was silent for a moment, eyes wide in shock.

What?

"A-Amy?"

"Yes, she's my…date…" He wasn't looking at her. In fact, he wasn't really looking at anything at all. His eyes were just blank and had lost its flare.

"Oh." In an instant, Jessie's sadness vanished and was replaced by pure rage. _'He knew I hated her… And then he just asks her to dance I wanted him to ask me to?'_

Without any hesitation, she stood up abruptly, knocking the chair behind her over in the process. Stony faced, she raised her hand, attracting the teacher's attention.

Mr. Rex, on the other hand, could not sense the tension in the atmosphere. He merely smiled at the hurt student. "Yes, Miss Jessie?"

"Sir, may I please go to the library to print something?"

You'd think her tone would've made it clear that she was _NOT_ in the mood to be polite, despite her words. Classmates who heard her flinched slightly, looking around to see who had angered the girl so much. Some assumed she was just in a bad mood. A few girls gossiped that she and her boyfriend broke up, whoever he may be.

And still Rex was oblivious to it all.

"Of course." He sounded so cheery that it made Jessie scowl. Nevertheless, she left when he waved her off. The door slammed behind her, and by now everyone was curious.

And guess what? Yup, the teacher was still clueless about it all.

Slinky silently picked up the fallen pen and placed it on the now-empty desk. Beside them, people were asking about what had happened, but he chose to ignore it all. Buzz sheepishly returned to typing, his words becoming less and less sophisticated in comparison to his usual style. The two boys made eye-contact as they pulled out their books, so Slinky got a good look on the blonde's guilty expression. Both smiled, but only half-heartedly.

After all, they had the same girl on their minds worrying them.

* * *

Jessie barely paid attention to the route she was taking to get to the library.

If someone came running out, shouting and banging on locker doors for no apparent reason, she wouldn't have noticed. Either way, it seemed as if she was the only one in the hallway at moment, her footsteps the only sound she could hear.

But in her mind, a specific voice kept on taunting her.

_'…I do…Amy…'_

No…

_'Yes, she's my…date…'_

Why, though? Was Jessie not good enough? Did she have to be a rich girl?

Did she have to be Amy?

By now, she had stopped walking, just lost in deep thought.

Technically, she had not been rejected. Not really. The words "Wanna go to the dance with me?" never escaped her lips. And Buzz had never said "No."

So why was she so upset? Ever since she met the new kid, her life seemed to be a flurry of deep emotions that had just decided to show up for the first time, surprising and overwhelming her.

Why was love so serious?

Wait…

No, not love. You can't love in high school. _'You're fourteen, for crying out loud!'_

Crying…no, she wouldn't. Not now, not for this.

A pink flyer caught her attention. It read "Dance on Friday! It's a formal, so remember to dress up!" Under that, in slightly smaller letters, was "Got a date? Impress by picking them up with a nice limo of your choice! For more details, go to the student window by the office." Beside it were a picture of a limousine and a Clip Art of two dancing people. The boy was in the process of spinning his partner, who was a girl in a frilly dress. There were no colors; it was all black, and just outlined the two. Almost like a shadow.

An image of Buzz gracefully about to spin her (like it had in the flyer with the couple), wearing a handsome tux formed into her mind. There, she was laughing, wearing a pink gown and looking her best.

_'Amy…'_

To her disgust, the scene shattered, only to be replaced with Buzz and Amy slow dancing, looking sickeningly in love with each other.

_"Pst!"_

Jessie jumped, startled. She glanced around for the sound of the voice in bewilderment. Just as she was about too overlook the sound and blame it on her mind messing with her, a boy came out from beside her and tapped her on the shoulder. He had light brown hair, features somewhat feminine. The way he dressed made Jessie question his—

"Hey, you're Woody's girl sister, huh?"

That voice…oh, no.

"Well?" Yup, no mistaking the high-pitched tone.

"I—yes, Ken…"

"Great." The, uhm, _boy_ smiled, smirking. "Hey, could you deliver a message to your big bro from me?"

_'No, he will not go to the dance with you.'_ "Sure, I guess."

"Cool." Now, Ken grabbed the redhead's wrist and harshly pulled her to him, face only inches apart. Jessie had a sudden urge to punch the older teen, but managed to control herself (with much difficulty.) "Listen, girly, I want to make this clear: tell Woody that if he doesn't want YOU hurt as well, he'll keep away from my Bo."

"Too bad. Y'know, it's pigs like you that put all boys to shame. Let's make this clear: **GIRLS ARE NOT PROPERTY**." With that, Jessie twisted her hand so that she now had a hold of Ken's wrist. She tightened her grip before letting go, giving him an icy glare. "And never treat a girl like that. You _NEVER_ have a right to grab anyone."

She stalked off, shaking her head but satisfied all the same.

Killing two birds with one stone: intimidating Ken about treating Bo like his pet and getting her anger out.

But she'd love to tell Woody about the _'threat.'_

They both need a good laugh.


	11. Chapter 11

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Yeah, got it up! Woo! Okay, I wanna apologize for this delay. I betcha some of you forgot this story existed. Heh. Uhm, I really hope I could update more quickly, but I barely have enough time to get by. Yeah... (By the way, if Bonny is spelled as 'Bonnie,' I really meant to spell it with a 'y'. If you know, tell me! Hehehe.) Once again, sorry for any errors and for the shortness of this chapter.**

_Ages:_

_Jessie, Buzz, Emily, Molly, Bonny - 14_

_Woody, Andy, Bo - 16_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_Drip. Drip. Drip._

Rain seemed to finally decide that it was going to pour. For the last two days, Tuesday and Wednesday, it would drizzle for about ten minutes and suddenly vanish. After a few more minutes, the process would repeat itself until everybody had shouted "You suck!" to the grey skies at least twice each.

Buzz was the only one who did not mind so much; he was too preoccupied to care. The last two days have been horrible. Even him, who was used to being stressed and could cope well with anyone, had had enough. Why did that one tiny mistake ruin school like it had?

First of all, he had received the cold-shoulder treatment from Jessie, his lab partner, throughout the past few days. He tried to make it up to her yesterday, Wednesday, when they were expected to be working on the project, but that only made matters worse. She refused to talk to him, save a few 'hmph's or 'whatever's when he attempted to start a conversation. Desperately, he had bothered with jokes and taps on her shoulder, but that resulted on the redhead telling the teacher that she felt sick and had to go to the school nurse. He didn't see her after that, and had to endure Slinky's scowls the rest of the day.

He sighed, leaning against the beautiful window that extended to the ceiling of his room, watching the drops of water slowly slide down the clear glass.

"Anything wrong, Master Buzz?" The butler looked at his boss in confusion, momentarily halting his dusting.

"Don't worry about it, Sarge," sighed the blonde boy, finally turning away from the storm outside. He walked dejectedly to his couch, throwing himself, face-down, onto the leather seat.

"My, my, we really are feeling down, aren't we?" Sarge chuckled good-naturedly, walking over to the teenager. He had never seen the boy act so...childlike. Like his true age.

And yet, he couldn't feel any prouder.

"Sure. Who wouldn't? I've got a date with_ Amy _tomorrow." The response was somewhat muffled, so Buzz turned his face so that only the side was against the couch. The expression he wore could've passed as the one of a person ready to jump off a building.

"You seem awfully upset about the ordeal. Why did you not tell your father that you had a date already?"

"I didn't. I just don't want to go with...Amy..."

"Well, why did you agree to?"

"Are you kidding? How could I possibly tell Father 'no'? Especially when he was expecting me to be a gentleman!"

"You do have the right."

"No, I don't. I can't risk that. I want to be the perfect son."

"That is too much to ask from any child."

"It doesn't matter. The decision was made. Jessie hates me..." Buzz trailed off sadly, not knowing he had said his thoughts out loud. Sarge wasn't one to comment, so he simply shook his head and headed for the spacious closet to hang a few new suits.

"Well, Sir, your tuxedo for the dance is here. I'll just leave them on the rack at the farthest left. It will be the green dot on the map if you can't find it."

* * *

Jessie leaned against her door tiredly, thinking about the upsetting day.

_'Stupid Buzz...trying to talk to me...after...after...'_

Was it really necessary to make _Amy_ his date? _Really?_ That hurt above everything else. The girl Jessie hated the most...that wasn't fair. How could he do that?

He even had the nerve to _talk_ to her!

But, at the moment, that wasn't her concern; she was too busy thinking of possible ways to get Woody to forget anything regarding the upcoming dance. If he asked her whether she had a date yet, or worse, whether she was even going...well, she didn't want to think about that just yet. She had a bad feeling he would either force her to attend or flat-out not go at all and spend the night watching movies or something.

No.

Her brother _had_ to go to the dance. It wasn't a choice, even. Everybody was expecting him and his date, the Student Body President, Bo, to attend together. In fact, that would very well save his reputation.

Why? Because of all the girls who had been turned down. They wanted to make sure there was a valid reason, not just because Woody wasn't interested. So, saying he had a date already, that saved a lot of feelings (yet it stirred up others greatly).

Jessie remembered yesterday particularly.

_"Jessie!"_

_The redhead jumped in surprise, immediately glancing about for the voice. Turns it out, two people called her name. And they were right beside the vending machines, completely hidden from view besides their frantically waving hands. With a sigh, the girl walked towards, what she saw as, another depressing fate._

_Predictably, it was the twins. Molly and Bonny, from her Music class. They were excellent piano players, complementing each other in every composition they performed that required two sets of hands. Luckily, they were all good friends._

_"Hey, guys." Jessie said, smiling._

_"Hi, Red," the two very similar voices replied. They looked embarrassed, playing with their hairs and shuffling their feet from time to time._

_"What's up?"_

_"Well—"_

_"—we wanted—"_

_"—to ask you something..." Yup, very typical of twins to complete each other's sentence. Then again, these two were extremely close..._

_"Yes?"_

_"Does Woody have a date?"_

_"...uhm..." Admittedly, that was very unexpected. The twins? Liking Woody? Wow..._

_"Well?"_

_"Does he?"_

_"Ah, about that..." Jessie trailed off, looking anywhere but the eager faces of two of her closest friends._

_"C'mon! You can tell us!"_

_"Yeah! And we wouldn't mind at all if he wants to take the both of us!"_

'That last comment would have been funny if it wasn't so serious...' _"Er, I'm pretty sure he has a date..."_

_Silence._

'Would they cry?'

_Amazingly enough, the twins just blinked, their expressions not really changing. "Oh well...he probably does... I knew it..."_

_"You knew-wait, then why would you ask?"_

_"'Cause he mighta wanted to go with twins..."_

_Jessie sighed, shaking her head. "Sorry."_

_"Yeah...wait, Red, do you have a date?"_

"I'm not going to the dance," the young, depressed teen said out loud in her quiet bedroom, using the same exact words she had told her friends when they questioned about her 'date.'

"You're not?" came a voice from somewhere, causing Jessie to hit her head on the doorknob, startled. Rubbing it, she opened her door to reveal a very confused looking Woody.

Clearly she had talked much too loud.

"No, Woody, I'm not going," she sighed.

"Why not?"

"B-because dances are so stupid...and lame."

"Really? Is that why you and Emily keep on talking about how much you "would_ so_ have fun" on Friday night at the dance?"

"I-I changed my mind."

"...fine. Then I'm not going either." The brunette shrugged and walked away, not minding his little sister's shocked expression. Naturally, she ran after him. _'I knew he'd do this.'_

"Why? You're going with Bo!"

"Then I'll apologize to her right now. I have her phone number." He pulled out his cell phone in explanation.

"What? No! Everybody knows you have a date! And they know that it's Bo!"

"It doesn't matter what they think."

"Won't that make you look bad? Standing up the _Student Body President_?"

"Maybe she'll find another date. Or if she's willing to hang out with us instead of the dance..." The blonde _did_ mention being very bothered to go.

"No! Wait, Ken! He'd think you did step down to avoid being beat up!"

At this Woody chuckled, far from sounding intimidated.. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to get into a _cat-fight _with him..."

"Seriously! He'd rub it in your face!"

"Doesn't matter. You don't go, I don't go."

"And if I do?"

"You know my answer."

"Fine. I'm going to the dance then."

"Great."

* * *

Friday afternoon came way too soon. (Even though it had been less than twenty-four hours to begin with.) School traditionally ended early for that reason, giving the sponsors enough time to add finishing touches to the gym. They had been working on the decorations and all the other necessities for the past week, closing the gym to all students during P.E in the process. Of course, not that anybody minded...

Jessie frowned at her dress. Upon hearing her friend's last minute decision to attend the dance, Emily rushed out immediately to pick the most perfect gown for her friend. With her sister's help, they managed to find a very pretty one and bring it to said girl in less than twenty minutes.

Because of that, Woody had asked the two siblings if they wanted to get ready for the dance at his house instead, saying that "Jessie might want help from _other _girls."

They agreed, obviously, which was why Emily was now talking on the phone non-stop with her date.

The doorbell rang and, as an excuse to leave the room, Jessie ran out and answered the door. To her surprise, it was Andy.

"Hey, Jess," he said, smiling at her.

"Oh, hello, Andy. Uhm, please come in." She opened the door further and let her brother's best friend in. "Woody!" she called in the direction of his room.

"Getting ready for the dance?" asked Andy.

"Yeah..." replied the girl, sighing.

"Lucky you. I don't have a date, so I kinda don't want to go anymore."

An idea light-bulb lit. "Hey, me either! Wait, wait, why don't we go together? We're both dateless!"

The older boy's eyes widened. "Really?" So Jessie was not an ugly girl. In fact, she was relatively pretty. But for him to take his best friend's sister as his date...

_Oh well._ "Yeah! Let's do that!"

About ten minutes later, after a small chat and a quick planning-out, Andy left to get ready, completely forgetting to talk to Woody. Jessie, feeling very elated at not being alone, ran to her bedroom to get dressed, suddenly enjoying the loveliness of her gown.

Emily was no longer on the phone. In fact, she was eyeing her own dress with interest, touching the soft fabric. The two friends made eye contact and at once, they both giggled.

Time to fix everything up.

* * *

Since the house wasn't far, they all agreed on merely walking to the school. Nobody minded, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to...well...get to know their dates better. Lenny, after apologizing several times, informed Emily that he could not pick her up so she would have to meet him there. That, of course, lost him several points in his date's eyes, so she would most definitely be in a bad mood with him when they do see each other.

The group looked stunning, every single one of them; Woody was in his tux, hair slicked back properly, not over-using hair gel like most people do. Both Bo and Emily had their hairs in a bun, loose curls hanging down their sides to complement their light-shaded gowns. Andy himself looked handsome (although not as good as Woody).

But Jessie stood out the most.

She was not a girly-girl like Emily. She was not a tomboy, either. But she never wore dresses.

Now? She had her hair down, curled up nicely, falling down near her waist. Her dress clung to her body appropriately, the faded red color accenting her beautifully. She didn't go overboard with make-up, but it did brighten her face somewhat. All in all, Jessie was as breathtaking as young fourteen-year-olds go.

They chatted as they walked, laughed as they neared the gym. There was someone sitting by a small table, selling tickets to go inside to the last-minute attendees.

Another person stood near the long line, accepting the tickets each student presented. She recognized the group quickly as they approached her.

"Oh, my gosh. Bo? Finally! I thought you wouldn't come!"

"Well, here I am." They each handed their tickets.

As they stood in line, waiting to enter, Jessie took a deep breath.

Buzz would be there. With Amy.

_'Here we go.'_


	12. Chapter 12

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Wee! The dance chapter. I really hope this turns out okay. Oh, I don't own the song, the lyrics, anything, really. (P.S. Sorry for: the wait, any errors, and my slowness.)**

_Ages:_

_Buzz, Jessie, Amy, Slinky, Pete, Emily, Lenny, Molly, Bonny - 14_

_Al, Barbie (name not in actual story) - 15_

_Woody, Bo, Ken, Andy - 16_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

Isn't it weird how when you see a really long line, you immediately go "Aww!"? Then when you're waiting it doesn't feel too bad like you thought at first? And the complete opposite if you see a seemingly short line! (It would take way longer.)

Well, Jessie was hoping that this line would last; part of her felt too nervous to enter the gym. All she could think about was how she would react to Buzz and Amy slow-dancing together...

Unfortunately for her, in no time at all, two boys were bowing them into the entrance of the dance. Clearly they were over-exaggerating the whole 'upper class' theme. But really...what was it with people _bowing _at you to symbolize class? Is that really how things work?

Nevertheless, they walked on and into the brightly-lit room.

_"Wow!"_ gasped Jessie as her eyes took in the decorations.

That about summed up the gym; at least, if you could recognize it as such. The walls were covered with what appeared to be some sort of fake wallpaper, giving the whole area some sort of ballroom feel. The floor was freshly polished, the scoreboards and basketball hoops hidden from view. To go with the theme, what would normally be a D.J. was now a mini-orchestra playing 'classical' music.

Jessie recognized several of her classmates among the talented musicians, admiring them. She caught sight of Molly and Bonny, both on separate pianos.

"Food!" Andy said suddenly, pointing to a long table, covered in white cloth and supposing several impressive-looking trays of refreshments. At the end of the table were the many drinks.

The music was not like normal dance music, where you would need to shout to make yourself audible. But it was loud, so you would need to speak up.

"Andy, we just got here. C'mon, let's dance!" Jessie eagerly followed her brother onto the dance floor, clutching Andy's arm. Emily had vanished the moment they passed through the doors moments ago, obviously searching for her date.

Woody and Bo were the center of attention; the two most popular juniors, together, dancing. Ken was visible merely a few feet away from them, waltzing with a blonde girl whose hair fell past her waist. He shot his ex-girlfriend an annoyed look before turning back to his date with a frown. Jessie, sighing in exasperation, took Andy's hands and put one on her waist while at the same time intertwining their free hands; she was taught how to dance properly in these types of events.

Although she tried to focus on her 'date,' images of Buzz continued to block her mind, doubling the butterflies in her stomach. What if they saw each other? As far as he knew, she wasn't even supposed to be here! Would she be taken with him if he was wearing a tux? Did Amy look prettier?

Normally, she wouldn't even be thinking about these things! But, no, now was _not_ a normal moment.

The song ended and the girl didn't even notice. She did, however, catch sight of Emily telling Lenny off and stalking away. _'What did he do?'_

Andy, too, noticed the scene and he never kept his eyes off the irritable brunette.

"Andy...why don't you ask Emily to dance with you?" Jessie smiled knowingly, watching as her date's face flushed a deep red.

"W-what? H-how-?"

"I know these things. So, go. I don't mind."

He looked embarrassed, glancing at both girls before finally reaching a decision. "You sure, Jess?"

"Positive. Have fun."

"Thank...thank you." Andy smiled, walking off to the direction of a distressed girl.

Even though she did not like Andy that way, Jessie did feel a little sad that she had just lost her only date. Sighing dejectedly, she passed the other dancing couples (the beat of the music was much faster now) and went to sit at a table.

Twice already, her friends had called out to her whilst spinning around with their partners, waving brightly. She, of course, waved back, but not as enthusiastically.

As she neared the table, a certain dancing couple caught her eye. And for a quick moment, they were all she could see.

Buzz, clad in a very handsome tuxedo, his hair pulled back in a tiny ponytail (not even an inch long!) making him more sophisticated looking than usual. If he was wearing glasses, Jessie would have probably melted on the spot. Her thoughts were interrupted when he turned so that now, his partner was facing him.

"Amy..." whispered Jessie coldly, not moving her gaze from that spoiled, squeaky-sounding blonde girl. She was wearing (in Jessie's opinion) a hideously colored pink dress with her hair more curled up than before. Her face was hidden in make-up, but not, disappointedly, enough to scare other people.

But then, just like a movie in slow-motion, building up the tension, Buzz turned to face her and they made eye-contact.

His jaw dropped. Literally.

_'Jessie?'_ he thought in shock, not daring to believe his eyes. She looked so beautiful, hair down and wearing a pretty dress. She seemed shy, making her appearance even cuter.

He wanted to stop dancing. He wanted to rush over to her side and offer her his arm, or something along those lines. He would have, had not Amy tugged on his hand and scowled at him.

"What are you looking at, Buzzy?"

Instinctively, he steered them away from sight, not wanting Amy to ruin his chances...

But one thing was clear: Jessie showed up.

"Where did you go?" whispered Jessie to herself, craning her neck in hopes of finding a certain boy.

Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder. "Wanna dance?"

Turning around, she found that Slinky was grinning at her, hand held out. She blinked once, getting her mind to focus. When she did, she smiled back. "Of course."

About thirty minutes later, Jessie had danced with about four boys: Slinky, Woody, Andy (again), and even Lenny! (She felt bad for him, and Emily clearly didn't care, being too content with her new date.)

Yet no Buzz. After they saw each other, he had vanished mysteriously. Who knows what happened to him...

"Jessie!" called two voices from behind. Of course, Molly and Bonny. Without giving their friend a chance to answer, the pair dragged her out of the dance floor, talking very fast.

"We need you—"

"—to go and play the violin for the next piece—"

"—the violinist a while ago is the one singing—"

"—and you're way better—"

"—just don't tell anyone we said that, though."

_"What?"_ gasped Jessie, pulling her aching arms away from the twins.

"We got your violin from the music room already! Just play, this is the one with the solo!"

"What? Wait—"

Thump!

She was pushed into a seat at the end of one of the rows in the orchestra, her violin already waiting for her. She sighed, but with smile. After positioning herself properly, she calmly waited for the conductor.

And the song began.

_As I jumped out of bed_  
_There was only one thought that had crossed my mind_  
_Yes, it was you_  
_So I got my haircut_  
_Maybe now you will notice me and then you'll ask_  
_"Why the new style?"_

_I put on my favorite outfit_  
_And a bracelet on my right hand_  
_I step outside and tell myself today is the day_  
_That you will see the real me_

_Melting! I'm melting at the thought of you_  
_But even so, I'm still way too shy to say anything_  
_Oh, God, I'm melting! I can't even look in your eyes_  
_So how will I get my feelings across to you now?_  
_After all it's you who holds my heart captivated_

It was an interesting beat, but Jessie was well prepared; her teacher had been instructing her to memorize the song for the last week. However, although everyone assured her it was great, she found that the solo was still tricky to play.

_The forecast this morning was wrong_  
_And so now I'm left out in the rain_  
_I should've seen this_

Beside her, the boy playing the piano accidentally turned the page too soon and he missed the entire beat. Since this song required the piano greatly, his slip up was quite obvious.

But the singer was way ahead of him. Skipping a whole verse, she continued, also acting as a guide to the other people. Luckily, being in the advanced music classes, they all followed suit.

_"Do you mind if I walk with you?"_  
_I ask as you unfold your umbrella_  
_I hope you didn't see my face was burning red_  
_As I'm falling way more in love with you_

_Melting! Oh, I'm finding it hard to breathe_  
_As our arms meet, you can feel I'm trembling_  
_My heart's racing_  
_All of this just because_  
_We're sharing an umbrella_

_I'm close enough to feel your warm breath against my cheek_  
_I don't know what to say, I don't know_

Oh no. Almost the violin solo. _'Calm down, Jess, calm down.'_

_I pray to God, "Oh, please make this moment last a little longer"_  
_And I stood, crying tears of joy_  
_Will they ever stop?_

And it began. Furrowing her brows, Jessie played. She had to, as the teacher once said,_ "Caress each chord as though they were your lover's face."_

Maybe not _too _appropriate for teenagers, but she understood it all the same.

As she continued, nothing mattered. At the moment, it was her and her violin only.

She didn't even notice that her solo had ended, or that Slinky gave a quick whistle to her in awe. The singer's voice echoed throughout the gym as the song neared its end.

_Melting! The time of parting has arrived_  
_Will we meet again or will you disappear forever more?_  
_And again I'm melting! Oh, God please tie us together_  
_I already miss you, I never want to say good-bye_

_I wish for the day you say to me "I love you."_  
_But that's in my dreams._

The singer finished, sweating slightly. The whole room rang with applauds, whistles, and shouts. Jessie smiled in relief, glad that she had not done anything regretful or embarrassing.

The orchestra all got a ten minute break, so she decided to pack away her violin and go back to having fun with her friends.

"Great job, Red!" squealed the voice of Molly and Bonny from somewhere.

"Yes, great job, indeed," added another voice. Jessie's head snapped up, recognizing the deep tone.

"Uhm...thanks, Buzz..." she mumbled, blushing. Looking back down, she found that the twins had taken her violin case to be put away in the music room again. How convenient.

"May I have this dance?" Buzz was clearly not wasting any time, getting to the point without hesitation.

"I—well—ah, sure..." Why wasn't she mad at him anymore? That wasn't fair! She had to be mad! Nope, not happening...

"I'm glad you came...ah, do you have a date, though?" It bothered him to consider that possibility. Does she?

"Yeah...sorta." _'Wow, he looks annoyed.'_

"Sorta?"

"He—uhm, I let him go with someone else..."

"Oh." The frown he wore was instantly replaced with a smile, despite his attempts to hide it.

Then the new music started playing, obviously by the second set of Band students that were there as a substitute. The song was slow (very slow) with no lyrics to it.

Buzz lead Jessie onto the middle of the dance floor, wrapping his arms around her waist. His partner carefully placed her arms around his neck, facing him. Their eyes locked, green to blue-green. They couldn't look away...

Minutes later, the song ended, but the two never noticed. They kept on dancing...well, swaying. In a sweet and graceful way.

"I—" began Buzz suddenly, face red, heart pounding. Oh, how was going to do this...?

"Y-yeah?" whispered Jessie, leaning forward and tightening her grip slightly. Her mouth barely moved. She was starting to get dizzy with the weird sensation she was feeling being this close to him...

"Well—I—" And then, for the first time, he lost his nerve. "Would you like a drink? I was going to get one now..." He reluctantly pulled away, hating himself.

"Oh." The girl sounded disappointed, letting her arms fall beside her. "Sure. Just get me whatever."

He nodded once, mentally beating himself up. 'Stupid-stupid-stupid!'

As he left, Jessie moved away from the center of the floor and towards the sidelines. She leaned back against the pulled-back bleachers and shut her eyes.

_'So close...'_

* * *

Woody laughed, pulling Bo away towards the other exit. Outside, there was a secluded bench that oversaw the gardens the school's Agriculture students grew. They walked out, enjoying the soft breeze.

"It's been a fun day, Woody." Bo smiled, leaning against her date.

"It has," he replied, wrapping an arm around her._ 'Say it now!'_  
"Hey, Bo?"

"Yeah?"

"Er—do, uh, do you think that maybe—" Woody blushed, eyes darting around for an idea. What could he say to get out of this? His tone and words already hinted enough!

"Mmm?" the blonde pressed, cheeks turning pink as well.

_'Aw, shoot.'_ "Would you—uhm—want to become my girlfriend?"

Bo almost squealed in delight; who could say 'no' to Woody?  
"I—of course! I'd love to be your girlfriend."

The brunette let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, laughing shakily. "Alright, then."

The two teenagers looked at each other, smiling. Acting together, they moved closer and shared their first kiss.

* * *

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Jessie-Jess."

That voice...oh, no.

Jessie opened her eyes with a snap, horrified at the sight she knew would greet her.

Well, triple that.

Amy. Al. Pete.

"What are you three doing here?" she gasped, the walls, which had surrounded her heart ever since these three had damaged it, on complete lockdown.

"We wanted to see how poor public schools looked like," Pete stated casually.

"How did you—?"

"Got some dates from your school," replied Al easily, smirking. "But we dumped them once we got in."

"I saw you with my date, you little man-stealer," hissed Amy, glaring at the redhead before her.

_'Be strong!'_ "Not my fault he couldn't last near you."

"Oh, whatever. I don't have to sink to your level."

"More like rise to my level, Amy."

A group of people surrounded the foursome, all whispering amongst each other.

_Deja vu._

But, not in a surprised way where you think "Oh, this is so familiar!" This was more of "Damn it, I can't believe I'm gonna go through this _again_."

Yay.

"So where's Woody, Jess?" taunted Pete, hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, big-bro Sheriff-man," sniggered Al.

"Did he die, too?" Amy jeered, waiting for the tears.

Jessie remained silent, hands curled up into fists. Surely a teacher would see...even an older student.

"Hey, what's going on?"

They all turned to find a confused Ken, an arm around his date. "Oh. Woody's sis."

He took in the scene but made no move to intervene.

_Thanks._

"Okay, whatever," Amy sorted, turning her back on him. "Wessie gonna cwy? No Mama, Dada, or a Beeg Bwoda!"

The three friends laughed, savoring how Jessie's eyes shut tightly to stop the tears that would undoubtedly come.

"You were always a crybaby, huh, Jess? Always thinking someone would be there to take care of you? Well, newsflash, that isn't gonna happen. Hehehe. Crying, now? Hey, let's chant! Orphan! Orphan! Orphan!"

"Orphan!"

_"Orphan!"_

**_"ORPHAN!"_**

Once again, Pete was the last voice she heard before running away, sobbing.

They managed to laugh for about a second before a sharp voice cut then off. "What was_ that_ about?"

Buzz didn't sound too upset, just disappointed. He was holding two glasses of punch, clearly annoyed.

His friends began explaining, all three looking nervous. Instead of pretending to listen to any of their excuses, he walked pass them, handed the glasses to some random kid, and ran after his lab partner.

What he would give to have been her date in the first place...

Jessie didn't get very far, but she was already on the sidewalk and taking the route home. Her vision was blurred with tears, still hearing the echoed chants of "Orphan!"

"Jessie!" Buzz caught up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He pulled her into a tight hug and allowed her to cry.

She held him, shaking. He simply rubbed her back soothingly, calming her. No words were exchanged for a long time. After a while, however, the redhead finally pulled back, sniffling. She rubbed her eyes, hoping that the mascara didn't smudge completely. How ugly must she look now?

"I-I'm so-sorry..."

"Shh...don't be..."

"I-I just hate them, Buzz! I want them to die! Amy is such a bi—"

"Hey, hey, shh. Calm down..."

"No! I won't! You have the worst friends ever!"

That made Buzz flinch for some reason. These were his friends...they've been friends ever since Pre-School. (Although not necessarily classmates all those years.) He wouldn't have people he knew his _whole life _be insulted! Could he?

Well, if his _father_ picked out these kids as his friends...surely they must be perfect...

"No, Jessie. They're just...stressed from school..."

Ouch. _'What?'_ "How could you defend them? After everything they did to me!"

"Hey, they have as much stress as me! We were raised to be tried as adults!"

"I don't _care!_ What they did is cold and cruel, and _nobody_ should ever be treated like that!"

"But you have to understand! We have more on our plates, being born with high expectations! Do you know how heavily-disciplined the Academy is?"

"Ugh! Forget it! You're just like them! Go ahead, defend your _rich_ friends!" She sobbed again, pushing Buzz roughly. Running with all her speed, she left, her soft cries fading away as she vanished.

He didn't follow her.

She _really _should've stayed at home.


	13. Chapter 13

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Hey, people! I'm SO sorry for not updating in forever! I meant to yesterday, but I fell asleep by accident... I am SO SORRY! **

**I know this may be a short chapter, but there's a reason... Uhm, enjoy? Heheheheh... (Oh, and I'm also sorry for any errors...)**

_Ages:_

____________

_Woody, Bo, Andy - 16_

_Jessie, Buzz, Emily - 14 _

______

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 13**

"What the—? Wow, I see, with my two little eyes, something really depressing."

"If it's me again, just don't say anything—"

"No, no, look. There..."

"Where?"

"Your boyfriend looks so sad..."

"Shut it. He isn't my boyfriend, and who cares if he looks sad?"

Jessie scowled at her best friend, pointedly facing away from a certain blonde. Emily just sighed and shook her head. With a loud vibration, audible to anybody who bothered to listen, and several blinking flashes of light, the cell phone on Emily's tray shook silently, the screen reading: **"Msg: ~Andy~ 3"**

"Yay!" whispered the owner, blushing slightly as she read the text, declared "Aww!" twice, and responded lengthily, only pausing to giggle when a cute, teenaged-girl idea came to mind.

Jessie rolled her eyes, mentally reminding herself that she would never invite her brother's best friend over _ever _again.

Almost intentionally, an old, pink flyer drifted by her face, teasing her as it slowly, very slowly, landed on the table, face-up, practically _screaming_ information about the past dance at her. It was amazing what one, tiny piece of paper could do to your memories...

Last week wasn't so fun.

After fleeing from the dance, Jessie was about halfway home, crying and a wreck, before Woody, Bo, Andy, Emily, and Slinky had caught up to her with worried faces. They all took turns comforting her and offering to beat up Buzz, Amy, Pete, and/or Al to a pulp. She recalled them saying something along the lines of _"Don't worry, I'll let you take a swing at them!" _and _"I hope that they know how to walk without legs. Or arms..."_ and (her favorite from Bo) _"I wasn't made Student-Body Prez for nothing! Give me the word, and I'll have my buddies do their thing..."_

Her big brother had remained calm for the most part, picked her up, princess style, and basically carried her home. Once there, nothing was said and hot chocolate was downed gallons at a time. Oh, and don't forget the many tubs of ice-cream that Woody had gotten in case any of them got stood up or something in that area. It was her favorite though: strawberry with those tiny chocolate bits inside. Mmm...

But getting back to the topic...

School after that remained the same; the classes, the boredom. Even everyone who had witnessed the shout-off at the dance mentioned nothing, despite the many sympathetic looks she recieved. Thankfully.

But one major change was Jessie's perspective of Buzz. Before, her feelings were mixed and unpredictable, different and odd on most days. Now it was just simply loathing and hate. Whatever affection she had begun to notice she held for that blonde was suddenly drowned in a pool of misery. She knew that, and she was determined not to reach over and bring it back to the surface. She wanted it to die. She embraced the feeling, ever since they had turned in the projects that following Monday.

Ever since that final good-bye.

_"Alright, everybody! It's been weeks, and like I said, the projects are due today! Please hand them in together in one pile!" Mr. Rex smiled at them all, patting the empty space on his desk in emphasis. One by one, pairs of teens lined up holding their work, some looking nervous and others confident. At the back of the class, a few kids were cramming in last minute details and whispering insults about their partners' lack of organization to each other. Buzz sheepishly approached Jessie, holding his own stack of papers. Looking up, they made eye-contact, but there was no emotion in the girl's. Wordlessly, she stood up with her part, nodding curtly at her nervous classmate. They waited in the short line with awkward silence, both inwardly scolding themselves, but for different reasons. For Jessie, it was her obvious show of hurting and pain; she didn't want him to see what he had done to her. And with Buzz, it was his hesitance in trying to make peace between them, his hesitance in opening up to this girl._

_The same girl who he now _knew_ he was falling in love with._

_Wow. What a way to put it!_

_"Excellent job, you two," commented Rex as he took their completed project. With one look at the tiny stack, it was clear that the other students were not as enthusiastic about doing good, or even trying to pass the class. (Both noticed a certain packet consisting of two lined pieces of paper in messy scrawl, bearing only the word "Prjt" at the top of the page.)_

_"Thank you," replied Jessie in a quiet, reserved voice. She glanced at the clock on the top of the wall behind them, knowing that she only had a few seconds to get this over with. "Buzz..."_

_"Yeah?" he responded quickly, eager that she had (apparently) begun to speak to him again._

_"Thanks for working on this project with me." She held out her hand, her mind one-hundred percent made up. At the moment, there were no regrets. At the moment. "I guess this is good-bye."_

_All he could do was stare._

What?

_"I—uhm—are you leaving, or something?"_

_"No. But the project is done, and so is our connection. We're no longer lab partners, so what else is keeping us from working together?" She had to be blunt. If she chose to sugar-coat what she needed to let out, who knows what would happen, based on assumptions?_

_"I—but, see...what I thought was..." Wait, what did he think? What did he want?_

_Surely not this...but..._

_"Alright. Good-bye."_

_...what could be do?_

_They shook hands, breaking the bond that they had formed from the day of their meeting. From the day Rex had paired them up._

_From the day they both fell in love at first sight._

_It was gone without a thought._

_Now._

_

* * *

_

Although admittedly Bo and Woody made a good couple, Jessie was beginning to get that awkward, embarrassing feeling when seeing love-struck teenagers act so taken with each other. Really. It was true when someone claimed to be sick of the 'mushy' love stuff going on between two people; it wasn't just an exaggeration!

But the fact that she had also just thrown away any chance at romance really taunted her. Did everybody have a nice, working relationship with someone except her? Emily and Andy, Woody and Bo, heck, she even found out Mrs. Trixie and Mr. Rex were married for crying out loud! They've just been using different names to avoid the general confusion and scandal that, no doubt, the school was expected to cause.

"Woody! You are _such_ a gentleman!" squealed Bo as said brunette opened the door to the diner and held it out for her. "Nobody ever did that to me!"

Nobody meaning her past boyfriends, of course. It was pretty clear that Bo, the Student Body President, no less, had had doors graciously held opened for her in the past.

Honestly, some kids just worshiped her!

_"Miss Bo! How are you today? No, no, let me get that for you!"_

_"Ahh, Bo-ey! I'm so glad you made it! Oh, don't worry about that! I'll get it myself."_

Then, the occasional _"I LOVE YOU, BO!"_ you'd hear at every student-council meeting. Jessie had only attended a few of those before; the moment it became no longer mandatory, she ceased to find interest in whatever the student body wanted to use with their "fundraiser" money. After all, who could resist an hour-and-forty-five minute lunch?

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that," Woody replied as his new girlfriend stepped inside. Winking, he kept the door open for his sister, who had failed to respond to his action. "In you go, Jess," he added when she remained standing outside, undoubtedly _not_ paying the slightest attention to the current world. Well, she had a lot on her mind! You would, too, if the guy you almost _kissed_ and _confessed to_ turned out to be a total jerk!

Sadly, Woody was beginning to adjust to her anti-social demeanor.

"Hmm? Oh—thanks—" Jessie finally noticed the open door after a good five minutes of deep thought.

"You've really been out of it," Woody commented as they walked to their usual spot at the back, only pausing to greet Wheezy energetically. Even though he was aware that girls were very serious about break-ups (at least, that's what he preferred to call what had happened between Jessie and Buzz) and that they did not want the subject ever to be brought up in any manner publicly, he finally decided to test his boundaries on the matter.

"Have I?" Well, she didn't sound _too_ upset.

"Yeah...ever since Monday...I guess..."

"And what day is it today?"

"...Thursday..."

_'Great,' _thought Jessie in annoyance, _'just peachy. I've been a depressed wreck for about three days...no wonder Emily keeps on complaining...' _But out loud she simply said, "Oh."

"You should smile more," added Bo, who had been patiently listing to the exchange, "you have a very pretty smile, too."

Jessie couldn't help the corners of her lips from curving upwards at this. "Thanks, Bo."

"Aww, look! There's that pretty smile!"

"Hahaha, very pretty."

The two juniors continued trying to cheer the young teen up, both hoping that she would be back to her old, lively self soon. It had never occurred to them that the innocent redhead could ever be so...opposite of what she usually was. Lately, there had been no tickle fights, no adorable squabbles, no joking at all... Everyone was determined to change those facts.

After all, who would want to see a quiet Jessie everyday? That'd be no fun all.

* * *

**Dear Jessie:**

**I'm truly sorry for the past week's events. I know that I deserve your hate and doubt. However, despite our obvious differences and opinions, I wish for the two of us to remain friends. If you disagree, please leave this message inside my locker (2899 by the 'L' Building) so that I know that our connection is permanently over.**

**Thank you**  
**Buzz**

After re-reading the feeble note several times, Buzz sighed and crumpled up the offending paper, muttering harshly. This was his fifth draft already! Either he wrote something much too serious or much too formal. There wasn't even a difference! And this one had been simplified to the best of his abilities! How hard was it to write a small letter to a girl he had unknowingly hurt?

And with the love junk going on...

Wait...that was it! Love! He had to write from (and this may sound very clichéd) his heart! In the past few drafts, it had all been proof-reading and grammatical mistakes that he worried about. He was raised to do so; his father had claimed that all gentlemen and those who wanted to achieve in life must be able to write a perfect and flawless five-page paper off the top of their heads on just about anything.

So here he was, fussing over proper sentence structure, in a confession letter.

Amy was right...boys are morons when it comes to romance.

**Jess,**

**I'm sorry. Okay? I really am. And this is for everything: the dance, the project turn-in, my friends...**

**Everything.**

**I don't want us to stop being friends either. It wasn't supposed to end like it did a few days ago. If you give me another chance...**

**Well, that's it. When you read this, I want you to know something that I've just recently realized. And please, don't think less of me.**

**Jessie, I think I am falling in love with you. And I can't help it. If you still hate me after this, then by all means throw this paper away and never speak to me again ("Er...that doesn't sound right...") but I hope it won't come to that.**

**I'm really sorry.**

**Buzz**

* * *

At the time, that had seemed like a good idea. From what information he had collected, teenaged girls wanted nothing more than to receive confession letters from other boys, crush or not. He didn't know where he stood with Jessie, and that was a feeling all too familiar to him. When they had first met, he was definitely smitten by her silent beauty. Her friendliness, charm, and personality had won him over as he got to know her better over time. Yet, scattered throughout those weeks, were the confusion and miscommunication, the hurt and anger. One day, they were the best of friends, joking and laughing with each other as though it was just a natural instinct. But then, as though a switch and been activated, they were enemies, vowing never to speak to each other again. There was no middle ground, really, or even a place where he knew who he was to her. He could never surely call them close friends without something going wrong soon after he had considered the idea.

It would've been nice, though, to be her friend.

Even a little bit.

Acquaintance, maybe? No?

Oh, alright, he wanted to be her boyfriend. If he didn't, would he have used the "_L_" word in his letter?

So here was...two days after he had slipped that note in her locker with no response whatsoever.

_Good job, Buzzy._


	14. Chapter 14

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Woo! Next chapter! This one is important as it's almost the last! Not yet, but this will set the stage for the ending. Enjoy! **

**(Sorry for any mistakes!)**

_Ages:_

_Woody, Bo - 16_

_Jessie, Buzz, Emily, Slinky - 14_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter 14**

Walking home alone was pretty boring if you thought about it. Sure, you felt the suspense of being by yourself, fragile and defenseless (well, sometimes), opting to bow your head slightly to avoid the stares of those creepy strangers. And yes, you did get some quiet time to dedicate to your thoughts.

But still.

It was so lame!

Jessie was not one for uneventful scenarios, and walking the ten-minute route home without anyone to talk to classified as an 'uneventful scenario.' Of course, it was all for a good cause!

_"Woody! We have to go out today! I just remembered that they opened this cute little couple's restaurant downtown!"_

_"Ah, but, Bo, I have to walk Jess home—"_

_"No, you don't Woody! I am perfectly capable of getting home safe and sound by myself."_

_"Yeah, but—"_

_"No, no! I insist. After all, how could you turn down a date with your lovely girlfriend?"_

_"You sure?"_

_"Positive."_

The main reason they were at school on a _Saturday_ to begin with was because Bo and Woody needed to take some sort of test (along with the other juniors) and refused to leave Jessie at home by herself for the three hours. So, after much begging (well, more of Bo walking in with her "Student Body President" shirt and telling the teachers that they had to allow the freshman to stay), Jessie was isolated in the library with permission to read any book. Taking advantage of the solitude, she found a bookshelf full of graphic novels and kept to that.

However, she did not want to spoil the afternoon of the new couple anymore.

Her motive was innocent; she wanted her brother to have a good time away from being 'dad' for a change. Most people would love this opportunity as it is probably seldom (or never) offered in real life.

"But this is _so_ sad..." sighed Jessie, shaking her head as she stopped at an empty four-way street. Gloomily, she peered left to right (yay for those badly animated street safety videos!) and paused.

_'Wait...isn't the shopping center just down the hill?'_

It would be a far better experience than sitting alone at home and contemplating whether or not to read the note she had found in her locker the other day. She had a good idea who left it there anyway...

Knowing she had her cell phone in hand, the young teenager happily turned around and headed for the excitement that she yearned for. _'Jessie is back after all!'_

* * *

"Master Buzz, have you finished writing the report yet?" Sarge asked as he entered the large library, pushing a cart of heavy books and folders. The blonde sitting in said room raised his head, and, at the sight of the overflowing cart, groaned and rubbed his eyes in distaste. He had been staring at his laptop screen for the past five hours, doing nothing but typing pages and pages of his stock report, reading the charts and graphs that were sent to him, unscrambling texts from several centuries ago, and...drinking coffee. So far, he had achieved a new record: two pots of black coffee, freshly ground, and imported from South America. The reports were honestly nothing to be proud of.

"Sarge, I'm _dying _here."

"You don't look ill or in pain, sir."

"Agh, you know what I mean," Buzz yawned, stretching and getting up from his favorite, antiqued leather chair. "I've finished it anyway."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Yeah." He tied to stifle another yawn but failed. "_Ohh_... Is there more work for me?" He was dreading the answer, but he did not want to leave anything for his father to worry about.

Sarge gave him a quiet smile. "No. Unless, of course, you consider visiting the store you will be managing later as work."

Wee.

"I guess it's better than sitting around here. Let's go." Buzz moved to leave, lazily eyeing the many books he was expected to finish by the end of the month as he passed. Before he reached the elevator, however, he heard his butler's call of "Change into formal attire!"

He knew what that meant: buttoned-up shirt, slacks, and a jacket. The serious kind.

_Great._

* * *

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"Huh?"

_BEEP! BEEP!_

"Text message...?"

**From: Milly**

**Hey girl**

_'Oh. Just Emily.'_

**Reply to: Milly**

**Hi. Something wrong?**

Send...

Jessie sighed. The town center was, predictably, bustling with people and employees. She spotted a few teenagers from her school, distinctly juniors who she had seen taking the test that morning. They were lounging on the purple metal benches near the large marble fountain, laughing and eating pretzels from the booth behind them. Clearly she wasn't the only one who felt like taking a relaxing break that day.

"I wished I brought Bullseye..."

As she was taking a shortcut to her favorite clothing store, Jessie's attention was diverted to a hidden, almost empty shop to her right. In fact, she had never even recalled that being there before.

_'Must be new,'_ she thought in surprise. Her phone vibrated again in her pocket, but the allure to the odd shop was too tempting. Before she knew it, her feet were leading her to the closed door, an old-fashioned 'We're OPEN!' sign hanging loftily from those transparent suction-things (that's what she thought it was.)

The store truly felt old; as she pushed the dark-green door open, a rusty brass bell at the top rang, making an interesting sound so addicting, she was tempted to swing the door a few more times just to hear it. Unfortunately, before she could do anything ridiculous, a voice called from the other end of the store, "May I help you, miss?"

Jessie let go of the door handle, almost longingly, and followed the voice. She didn't have to go far; at the only cashier table, she was greeted by an old man, balding but with fluffs of grey hair on either side of his scalp, with big, square glasses that had what looked like a tiny flashlight on one side. She found that amusing, and made a mental note on her Christmas present request for the year.

"Er...hello, sir. I was just—I saw this store a while ago—and I'm not sure whether it's new or I'm just being forgetful."

The man, Geri, as it read on his name tag, smiled. "You are not forgetting anything, young lady; this antique shop is definitely new." He looked around the room, admiring the shelves of knick-knacks and jewelry, porcelain dolls and plates. There were old clothes, made hundreds of years ago, and many, many music boxes of sorts. His soft blue eyes came to rest at the teenager in front of him, her face eager and nervous all the same. Even though he had been working a month on the store, had obtained all the items himself, learning a bit about each one from its previous owner, Geri still couldn't keep himself from marveling the fact he was surrounded with such uniqueness.

"Maybe you should take a look around," he suggested with a chuckle.

"Yes, sir!" squealed Jessie cheerfully. Grinning, she scurried around, almost with grace, taking her time study each artifact. She found most of them worth "oohing" about.

But, as though it was fated, she came across a glare of light spilling out of the tiny opening of a purple curtain at the farthest back of the store. Part of her reprimanded her crazy idea of yanking the fabric off to see the treasure behind. Yet, her curious side (basically, most of her) urged her on, knowing that something worth hiding is definitely _worth_ exposing.

**Woosh!**

Jessie gasped as her eyes set on the most beautiful, most extravagantly looking hat she'd ever seen. It was a treasure indeed; an official cowboy's hat, blood red, and with yellow-like material bordering the brim in a circular fashion. It was probably real leather, too, unlike the fabric ones she and Woody used to own.

"I see the Jane's Hat has taken to your liking."

Jessie jumped, startled; she felt a little guilty for opening the curtains after all.

"I-I'm so sorry—I didn't mean to—I just—"

"No, no, it's fine. I don't mind at all." Geri placed a bony hand on the glass casing with a sigh. "It surely is wonderful."

"I-it is..." She loved it. More than anything she'd ever seen! "How much?" Hey, it was a long shot. Jessie was aware that the only thing cased up in the store probably cost more than everything put together.

Geri's smiled vanished slightly; being the old man that he was, he couldn't bring himself to tell the sweet little redhead that the hat she longed for was auctioned from a museum across the country. The owners of the store, however, managed to purchase it for a little sum, despite that it was almost priceless.

"Ah...well, bear in mind that this is one of the hats of the original cowboys—excuse me—cowgirls of the West."

"Okay..." Not sounding good anymore...

"Ahem...it's about five-thousand dollars at least."

"F-five?"

"If you think about it, the price is very cheap."

"Cheap? When is five grand cheap?"

"Heheheh. In this time and age."

Jessie frowned. She wanted the hat. But...it would be worth much more than a Christmas gift...more like fifty Christmases...

"I apologize," Geri told her sympathetically.

"No...it's fine..."

"We have other things here worth less than fifty," he offered. "Not old hats, but there are lava lamps and music boxes."

Jessie grinned. "Okay."

* * *

"So...what was my new store called again?"

"Master Buzz, I've told you that at least trice already."

"I'm sorry, Sarge, but I didn't hear..."

"Oh, alright, sir. It's called _'Beyond Infinity'_."

The teenager gave a low whistle. "Nice name."

"Isn't it, sir?"

"May we _walk_?" Buzz asked innocently, yearning to feel the cool autumn breeze on his face, see his breath in front of him as mist from the low temperatures outside.

"No, sir, I apologize, but we don't have that much time to waste." Sarge strode casually to the glass double-doors that led to the garage.

By average standards, the Lightyear garage was bigger than most big-department shop parking lots, not including the second floor. However, most of the space was occupied by their many limousines, all lined up according to size and color. In fact the area was so big that they had a moving sidewalk to save time. If that was not functioning, there were segways beside the doors to use.

As it was routine for Buzz and he had been locked inside all day, the blonde ignored the moving walkway and simply ran towards the sports car which he knew they were going to take.

"That boy is a fast runner," murmured the butler, smiling to himself. He had not sprinted in years and doubted that he could reach his boss's speed by simply _trying._

Thirty minutes later found them pulling up in a small, hidden parking lot behind an old store. "Beyond Infinity," read Buzz out loud. They exited the car; both felt that it was too foolish and uncalled for to ask one of the drivers to handle the smaller vehicles.

"And I own this?" wondered Buzz in amusement.

"Technically, yes. Your father told me that once you sign the contract—which you did—the antique shop would be yours to manage." The two stood before a dark-green door now. Sarge knocked twice, just to be polite, as it was a private door.

"Don't I have a key?"

"We have to get them first, sir, from the employee here."

No sooner had the man had said that when the back door opened and an old face poked out.

"Ah, boss," Geri said, stepping back to allow the other two to enter, "please come in."

* * *

Jessie stretched as she enjoyed the cool day. In her opinion, the weather was perfect: cloudy, yet the sun was visible, with the air almost completely still, but you could comfortably wear a jacket or thick shirt and not break a sweat or shiver one bit. She had decided against buying the pretty music box and the green lava lamp, despite the cheap price. Her mind was set on the hat, and she was determined to make the five thousand dollars through solid work. Wheezy had already promised her a job at the diner, so she was one step closer!

Behind her in the shop, three figures were conversing about the business plans. Buzz was already aware of the merchandise as he had helped his father pick out and purchase every single item. So, naturally, he was not paying attention to what the two elder men were laughing about. His eyes strayed from the shelves and onto the big windows on both sides of the door.

He saw a figure outside.

With red hair.

His heart almost skipped a beat. Eyes as wide as it's ever been, he continued to stare until the figure turned its head and he saw its eyes.

Green. The ones he became lost in when ever he glanced at them.

_Jessie._

"No way," he gasped, face flushing instantly as he remembered the confession note and his newly-found love. Although the girl was not completely looking in his direction, he couldn't help but feel light-headed at the idea of her being so near to him. Panic-stricken, he made an about-face and tried to hide his embarrassment.

It worked, to his surprise.

"—and I had a young lady find interest in the Jane Hat just now," Geri was saying.

"Was she a redhead with green eyes?" interrupted Buzz suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"The—that girl who wanted the hat," explained the teenager hurriedly. Why was it so hot?

"Oh. Oh! Yes, she liked it very much. In fact, she said she was in love with it..."

_'Lucky hat,' _thought Buzz bitterly.

* * *

_Beep-beep-beep!_

"...hmm..."

_**BEEP! BEEP! BEEEEEEP!**_

"What?" hissed Jessie, pulling out her phone in a swift motion.

**Msgs: 8**

_Oops._

**From: Woody**

**Hey, Jess, you ok?**

It was from ten minutes ago...

**From: Milly**

**Gah! Fine dont txt me bak!**

Thirty minutes...

From: Woody

Hello?

Thirty-two...

All her texts came from Emily, Woody, and, on one, Slinky, who merely said "yo Jess!".

Giggling guiltily, she typed:

**Reply to: Milly, Woody, Slinky**

**Heh. Sorry guys I wuz buzy**

Sending...

"Saves time," she whispered as she slipped her red phone into her pocket. With a long sigh, she walked away from her new favorite shop, skipping getting a jacket altogether from Dolly's Boutique (which was actually not as girly as it sounds) and headed towards the gateway to money: Wheezy's diner.

_"Time to get a J-O-B!"_

_

* * *

_

_'Open it.'_

Jessie stared at a crumpled up piece of paper she had found wedged between her textbooks. Trying to prolong the inevitable was not working out for her whatsoever. She had hoped...

She knew who it was from, though.

With all the time in the world, no Woody or pretty much any company, and no distractions, she also had no excuse.

Before giving her full attention to the note, she glanced at her Wheezy's Diner apron, shirt, and hat that were neatly set out on her bed.

Here goes nothing.

**...**

"...uh..._what_?"

For once in her life, Jessie was left speechless.

The paper, instead of containing a long, heart-warming confession letter of Buzz's unconditional love for her (which, she would like to add, she did not spend all night hoping for), held merely numbers and numbers of "Daily Proceeds" and "Income" and all these weird, business-like words Jessie was unaware of. The handwriting was somewhat familiar, though she could very well recognize it as not her brother's or Emily's. It definitely wasn't something she had forgotten about writing in class and dropped as she left, only to have a classmate return it nicely to her. Math was not her strongest point.

So who could possibly send her files of stocks and plans?

Surely it wasn't for _her_.

* * *

"Master Buzz?"

"Yes, Sarge?"

"Why did you hand me letter for a Miss 'Jess' when I asked for the notes you wrote on your father's stocks in Japan?"

"What?"

"Here—"

...

**"...holy—"**

**_"SIR!"_**

"—_cow_..."

Sarge turned his back quickly, trying hard to hide the shock on his face. Although he had not read the paper thoroughly, he did see enough to know his boss had just declared his love for a girl whom he had hurt beforehand. And her name, Jess, gave him all the answers he needed to help.

"Excuse me, Sir, I just remembered I have to attend to some other affairs..." He bowed slightly, refusing eye-contact as he knew he would not be able to control his smile from widening at the teenager's blushing face.

"_S-Sarge_!" For once, the young man's voice broke in horror.

"Yes, Sir?"

"...nothing..." With that one word, Sarge knew that he was not to mention anything later.

Not that he was going to in the first place.

"Excuse me, then, Master Buzz." The butler couldn't remember the last time he had ran to his room in search of a phone. It was odd to do so again, but under many different circumstances.

"Let me see..."

As he slipped inside a door, completely isolated, from behind the kitchen, Sarge strode happily to his desk. On it were pictures of his family; his parents and siblings. He caught sight of his late wife and two children who had grown up a long time ago. Yet it was a picture, one where he and his twin brother stood happily behind two young girls, holding onto dolls each, that he searched for.

His nieces.

His phone was on his hand in an instant, dialing his brother's number that he had memorized so well...

"Hello? Yes, this is Uncle Sarge...oh, it's wonderful to hear from you, too, Emily. Is Bo there, as well? No? Oh...do you have time to talk, sweetie?"


	15. Chapter 15

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Woo! Chapter...uh...15? Already? Huh, this is gonna end soon then. I'm thinkin' one or two more then _done_... I dunno, please tell me? I'd love feedback! **

**So, this chapter is pretty big...er, in relation to the story. It's also somewhat long! Yay! **

**Enjoy! (P.S. I'm sorry for any mistakes, I tried my best to edit it.)**

_Ages:_

_Buzz, Jessie, Emily, Amy, Pete - 14_

_Al - 15_

_Woody, Bo, Andy - 16_

_

* * *

_**Chapter 15**

**Bang-bang-bang**

"I—am—such—a—_moron_—"

Buzz punctuated each word with his head on the desk. After realizing his mistake, which was switching a _love letter _with a business plan, for crying out loud, he had contained himself in his study to die of shame. Of all the screw-ups he could've made...why did the most mortifying, humiliating, I-Want-To-Disappear-Now kind happen to him? Why not Pete? Or Al?

And speaking of his friends...

_"Yo, Buzz!"_

_"Buzz-ay!"_

_"Buzzy-Bear!" Amy squealed happily, running towards him to throw herself into his arms. Of course, he did not do anything as she hugged him, his face neutral and unpredictable. Indeed, he had no emotion._

_Not that they deserved it, either way._

_Finally, she let go, her face inches away from his own. It was now when he realized just how ugly and flawed the annoying blonde's face was in comparison to Jessie. The mere thought of the redhead caused his insides to twist and anger to rise as he recalled how she was hurt by the three present before him now._

_"You guys have some nerve calling me by my first name," he said dryly, his eyes hardening as he put on the ruthless demeanor act that he had saved exclusively for squabbles with certain rivaling companies._

_Not acting at this moment, though._

_"W-what? What are you talking about?" Al never was the bravest, so he merely stepped back from the younger teenager with a nervous facial expression. He felt sweat drench his forehead and armpits, although he tried to ignore those facts._

_"You know what I mean. What justifies verbal abuse?" Buzz smirked tauntingly, his glare silencing Pete, who had begun to stammer in reproach._

_"Buzzy! Why are you so mean? Stop it!" Amy stomped her foot in an irritable fashion. Currently, she was very shocked at the sudden display of hatred their old friend seemed to be showing for them. What had happened?_

_"Oh, I'm mean, Amy?" he hissed mockingly. He knew he had made a point when the girl flinched. "You claim that, of all people around us right now, I am the 'mean' one?" They were in Buzz's old Academy, forming some sort of circle with so much space in between them. As they were standing in the quad, the area where most people tend to relax and socialize in, the four, Amy, Al, Pete, and Buzz, were the center of attention, in full view of anyone who bothered to care._

_And only they were talking._

_"Well, you are!" Amy finally shouted._

_"I know your act. It's all pretend, a façade of false-innocence to earn the sympathy of others. We are both very aware why you are not the victim here. Tell me, what does calling someone who had lost their parents an orphan do for you? Surely it satisfies the sickness behind those curly locks of yours." He had wanted to be a lawyer before. "Hmm?"_

_"I—you—I don't believe—"_

_"Speak up, Amy, dear," Buzz almost chirped. The way he spoke unnerved them all, but the Amy was the toughest between her boyfriend and his brother._

_"Are you trying to say that you're siding with that girl?" her voice cracked under stress and disgust._

_"I am."_

_"Urgh! How could you pick her over me?"_

_"Watch me. And you know what? You're not worth my time anyway. To put it simply, you really are a ditzy, prima-donna, self-centered bi—ah—blonde."_

_He left it at that._

_Turning around, he began to walk away, ignoring the cheers that had erupted around them, Amy's ranting, and the insults people who had had enough of the gruesome threesome threw at them._

_It was all for Jessie._

And they deserved it.

* * *

Emily was _ecstatic_.

She had just recently spent an hour-long conversation with her most favorite uncle, talking about something she had also been yearning to fix. It was as if everything was slowly falling into place. Just like a dream!

She squealed now, carrying on with her mission. It was interesting how her uncle had put it as that, but then again, what else was expected from a veteran in the military? Not just any veteran, too: the Sergeant of the best army in the country.

Her dad was an amazing soldier, though. He was still out there (a fighter pilot who can jump off a plane and land with such accuracy, he could place both feet on a small dot as wide as Emily's palm from three-thousand feet high), contacting them every now and then. Their mother was in the army as well. She worked in submarines most of the time, yet she also seemed content on flying with her husband once in a while. If anything, she was fiercer than their father.

But Emily was used to their absence almost everyday. It was nice to see them about twice a month, of course, and phone calls were made as often as possible (courtesy of Mom), but it just wasn't the same as it had been when she was very young. Bo was a great replacement, too; actually, she was a funner parent.

"Hmm-mmm-la-la-lee_-ooo_—" Emily hummed, scrolling down the site she was browsing through on the Internet. Her day had been busy and would probably stay like that for a while until her job was completed. But, no matter.

The _fun_ was just about to start.

* * *

_Running._

That was all Jessie could remember as she did so, full speed and with an unknown destination. She knew as well that she was running from someone, but who was the question. Her legs were slowing, the darkness around her suddenly expanding and expanding until she swore she could feel it inside her. Now, she screamed as she stopped at the edge of a cliff that she had not been aware of until this very moment. The precipice was barely visible, yet for some reason, she had a sinking feeling there would be sharp, jagged rocks ready to meet her if she did fall. Not good.

There was a demented chuckle behind her, but no one in sight.

_"Don't come near me!" _she heard herself shout, her voice sounding odd with fear evident in it.

More laughter. It was so close...

Jessie stepped back a bit, only to gasp in surprise when she realized her foot did not touch the ground as she had hoped it would, but slipped and pulled her whole body backwards.

Into the darkness...

_"NOOOOO!"_

A hand. Someone grabbed her...was it Woody...?

She was standing on soft grass, barefooted, squinting under the rays of sunlight that were shining right behind her savior.

_"Are you alright?" _his voice was commanding, cool.

_"Yes, thank you," _Jessie replied automatically. It was an odd response as she would have normally questioned the guy first...

_"Is my Princess safe?"_ He got on a knee, taking her hand and smiling up at her. It was only at this moment that Jessie realized that she was wearing a dress and a crown.

_"I am, now."_ Again with the weird replies she couldn't seem to control.

_"Good."_ He stood up, and Jessie's eyes widened as they stared into blue-green orbs and got lost in them.

**Buzz.**

She wanted to push him away, kick him even, but she didn't. Her body ignored her mind and her arms were suddenly around the blonde's. He put his hands on her hips and closed the distance between them without missing a beat. They were only a cheesy lean-in-slowly moment away from locking lips, and still Jessie was doing nothing but smiling lovingly.

_"I love you, Princess."_

_"I love you, too, my Prince."_

They both moved closer and Jessie woke up, blushing like crazy. She could've sworn she actually said the last part out loud...thank goodness only _Bullseye_ was present...

"Oh—my—_friggin'_—gosh..."

What kind of nightmare was _that_? Or was it even a nightmare?

* * *

Sarge pushed a large cart, pure gold with diamonds encrusted almost everywhere (an antique of Master Zurg's), humming blissfully under his breath. He had made a specifically grand breakfast that day and was currently taking it to a certain love-struck teenager.

"Master Buzz?" he called, knocking on the smooth oak double-door's that were glistening from all the polishing done on it. "May I enter?"

"...go ahead..." was the muffled response.

Smiling victoriously, the man pushed the cart in the study, stopping near the spacious desk of his boss.

Buzz moaned as he lifted his head to inspect the cart before him. He brightened a little, however, when he saw all the appetizing food on it; he was too used to receiving massive amounts of work when any cart was brought in that he dreaded the sound of rolling wheels followed by a "May I enter?" from his butler.

"Wow, that looks amazing, Sarge," he complimented, spinning his chair so he was completely facing his breakfast. He distinctly saw several eggs made in many ways, large strips of bacon neatly folded against each other in creative styles, toast of different kinds, with probably every spread known to man, waffles and pancakes, still steaming from the freshness and with a perfect golden-brown shade, caviar with home-made crackers reminding Buzz of his wealth, and so much more. He saw five glass pitchers of freshly-squeezed juices and mineral water, and an ice bucket on the side if he wanted something cold.

It was things like these that reminded him why he was willing to work everyday. Hey, even rich people were influenced greatly by food.

"Well, Sir, you need your strength for today," Sarge happily replied while pouring apple juice in a crystal-clear juice glass (yes, he was picky like that) and handing it to his boss.

"Hmm? Why?"

"You've been invited to a dance party today, and it is most important that you attend."

"A dance party? Whose?"

"Oh, a few kids from your school. If I'm correct, your friends Woody and Andy."

Buzz almost spit out his juice. Jessie's_ brother, _Woody_?_ What?

"I—uh—_what_?"

"Are they not your friends, Sir?"

He had no idea! After the little incident at the dance who-knows-how-long ago, Buzz had been too ashamed to even look in the direction of Woody or Andy.

If there was something he respected, it was old tradition, and old tradition said to always be courteous of the seniors in the family of the girl that one courts. Since Jessie had no dad and Buzz was technically 'courting' her, Woody was that senior who was in charge and who got his (Buzz's) unconditional respect.

The moment he hurt Jessie, he disrespected Woody, and so the code of conduct had been broken. Buzz had disobeyed tradition. How could they possibly want to be friends?

"Well, either way, you are attending and you, Sir, have permission for a day-off from your father," Sarge continued nonchalantly, now organizing the platinum eating utensils.

Buzz stared for a moment at his plate of uneaten food, contemplating. _'What's the risk?'_ he thought.

"Oh...fine, I guess I could go..."

And so the plan was set into action.

* * *

_Ring-ring-ring-ring!_

Something was shaking...

**_Ring-RING-RING!_**

So loud...

"...hello?" moaned Jessie groggily as she rubbed her eyes and pulled the covers around her snugly. She had barely gone to sleep after a little weird dream, and being awakened to the sounds of her hyperventilating phone wasn't the most ideal beginning of a good day.

"_Jessie-Jess_!" squealed an all-too-familiar voice on the other end of the line.

"Mmm, 'lo, Milly..." She yawned, morning-tears coming to her eyes.

"Sounds like someone's just woke up."

"...Hmph, yeah, yeah..."

"Well, get up, silly! I want you ready when I pick you up later!"

"Huh?"

"We are going to a _partay_! It's gonna be _so_ fun!"

"What? Why?" Jessie was still sleepy, and as this was not the first time her friend had randomly called her up to offer a chance to go to some party for some reason, she didn't feel alarmed at the suddenness of it all.

"'Cause! So be ready! I'll have Bo take us around, mm-kay?"

"Ugh. Sure, I guess."

"Sweet! See ya, Jess!" Click.

"'bye..."

Warily, Jessie stood up, stretched, and made her way to the bathroom.

"This is gonna be a_ long _day..."

* * *

"Psh. Y'know, it's so sad how he keeps _staring_ at you and not doing a single thing to get your attention. Look! What a _weirdo_!"

Emily pointedly_ stared _(she felt that it would be appropriate to give the guy "a taste of his own_ poison"_) at the direction of a lone figure by the benches near the soda machines, scowling. Said figure, upon noticing the death-glare, jumped slightly and hurriedly looked away. If the girls were near enough to see him, they'd have known he was blushing.

"Milly, leave him alone..."

"You don't seem to mind! 'Sides, what did you expect? You're actually wearing girly clothes!"

Jessie "hmph"ed, rolling her eyes. In her defense, her closet was completely void of everything she had wanted to wear! The day Woody decided to do laundry...not that it was his fault, of course, since Jessie had not been planning to leave at all the whole day and assured her brother she didn't need anything from the dirty pile so he could take his time. But no, Emily had mysteriously called and Jessie was forced to wear the only things not in the laundry and in her closet: the short pink skirt that Emily had gotten for her (Jessie) on her last birthday, her only black tank-top, and a matching black leather jacket that only hung half-way down her chest.

How was that girly? More of Goth, omitting the pink.

"And may I ask what we are doing here?" inquired Jessie with a false formal tone that one uses when addressing royalty. If she'd have added a "Your Majesty," it'd have been perfect.

"We are getting you a nice dress for that party later, silly!" Emily grinned.

"Wha—? No way! You said nothing about dresses—!" _'What was it with me wearing dresses today?'_

"Shh! Relax, Jess! It's all gonna be fine. Trust me, will ya?"

"Ugh._ Fine_."

"Good! Now let's go! I wanna check out Dolly's first!"

It was a slow process once they _did_ find some dresses.

First, Emily would happily claim that "this is _so_ adorable!" and force the garment onto Jessie's waiting hands. Then, as they were heading to the changing rooms, the brunette would find another dress that was "_so_ perfect!" and would also thrust that into her friend's arms. This went on several times until they actually _reached _the rooms.

By then, Jessie had twelve dresses that met Emily's standards of decent attire.

"Uhm-kay, Jess-Jess, try these all on!" With a slight shove, Jessie was inside a booth, the curtains closing behind her. She faced a large, oval mirror, which reflected her harassed and wary face. It made her laugh, though.

"'Kay...let's get this over with..."

* * *

Woody smiled to himself as he and Andy made their way towards his only car. It was a gift he had received from his Aunt when he was finally allowed to drive (though he preferred to walk) and as they had to travel somewhat far away, walking was not an option. They got into the car and headed towards the hills.

**Beep-beep!**

Andy pulled out his phone and examined the screen. He nodded thoughtfully before turning to his best friend with a grin.

"They're good to go."

Woody smirked, eyes on the road. "Bo gonna pick them up?"

"Yup, Milly said she'd just called her."

"Sweet. Step Two is ready for action, then." Woody's grin, if possible, grew wider.

A few minutes later, they were in front of a large gate, its golden bars shining in the sun.

* * *

"We're here."

Emily and Bo both held the same knowing smile, watching an unnerved Jessie. She had no idea where they were and why they were there in the first place. From what she could tell of the building, it was just a plain business center with boring, white walls. How _fun_.

"You sure?"

"Don't let looks fool you, Jessie, it's much better inside," Bo laughed, pulling the key from the ignition. She opened the door and stepped out, her white-and-pink dress falling nicely by her knees. Emily followed suit, herself wearing a cute dress that had a pretty shade of light brown mixed with yellow (kind of like beige) with flannel-like designs using red lines. Jessie personally loved it; it reminded her of a cow-girl uniform gone Barbie.

"Oh, don't forget your masks," Bo added in a whisper as they walked towards the plain-looking double-doors. The only thing that contradicted Jessie's idea of the place being an office-area was the wooden sign that said **"The Rodeo Ring"** beside them.

_'That doesn't sound like a name of a professional business thing,'_ she thought nervously.

Emily placed a bronze domino mask on her face and smiled at her sister, who had also slipped a frilly white one on the bridge of her nose. Jessie nodded in understanding and examined her own black-and-white mask moodily.

What was going to happen?

With no idea and little expectations of the unknown event, Jessie donned the harlequin mask on and sighed.

"_Step Three is on_," Emily whispered.


	16. Chapter 16

**Super Nova**

**Author's Notes: Okay, almost done! Just one or two more, then we're good to go! I'm also sorry for how short this chapter is...!**

**I don't own Toy Story, or the song used!**

**(P.S. Yes, I added the last line, not the singers.)**

_Ages:_

_Jessie, Buzz, Emily, Slinky - 14_

_Andy, Woody, Bo - 16_

* * *

**Chapter 16**

"Yo, yo, yo! This is yah D.J. for the day, Slink-ay! We're gonna step up this beat a bit! I think all you dancers are read-ay! Can I hear a "Woo"?

"Woo!"

"I said, "_can I hear a 'woo'_?""

"WOO!"

"Alright! Let's start this tha-a-ng—!"

The loud music literally made the ground and walls shake. It wasn't helping, either, that the many people (mostly teenagers) in the center of the dance floor were jumping up and down in perfect sync. Jessie was, admittedly, impressed. For a place that looked no different than a law institute on the outside...it was _way _past expectations.

"I think Slinky took the job a little _too_ enthusiastically!" shouted Bo, her loud voice barely audible over the very deafening song. She was grinning, however, and happily inspecting their surroundings. It took Jessie a while to realize that everyone in the room (including the hyper D.J) was wearing a mask, one way, shape, or form. She distinctly saw a black-cat face mask, a few superhero ones, and some that people just it painted on. Surely these weren't all coincidences.

Nevertheless, the redhead was past her nervousness, choosing now to relax and prepare to have fun. She was just about to run over to Slinky to help be D.J. when she heard Bo and Emily beside her.

"Is that Woody?" her best friend yelled, pointing exaggeratedly to three figures standing awkwardly by the long food table.

"Is it? _Oh my gosh_, it is! Woody! Woody! C'mere!" Bo squealed in delight, waving her arms to get the attention of her boyfriend.

It worked, but it also attracted some other teenaged boys who had been within seeing range. Two of them, a whitish-blonde teen and a black-haired one, immediately ran to their sides with what they thought were macho side-smiles.

"Hello, ladies," the blonde said, his voice smooth and cunning. He was wearing a white horse mask, only his mouth visible.

"Indeed, how are we today?" the other guy had (as odd as it sounds) a green race-car mask that was, unbelievably, hot. Well, they were still girls, weren't they?

_'But their presence is so ruining the moment,' _thought Bo worriedly.

"We're pretty fine, thanks," Emily sweetly told them with a false-cheery voice. Although the boys would never know, her eyes sparkled with mischief, as an idea came to mind. "My boyfriend's fine, too, since he just got out of jail from beating up some _guys _who _wouldn't_ leave me alone...and you?"

They obviously took the hint.

The blonde swallowed and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Uhm...yeah, but we have to go now...uh, bye..."

They left, shoulders sagging and muttering to each other about not finding dates. Jessie couldn't help but feel bad for them; she knew what lost romance felt like. It wasn't a feeling worth experiencing, obviously.

_'At least there're two of them...so they could just sulk together,' _she thought sympathetically whilst watching them go.

"Wanna dance, Jess?" a voice asked behind her.

She jumped, and swiftly turned around, only to come face-to-face with a handsome, brunette cowboy. He was wearing a brown, long sleeved buttoned-up shirt and dark jeans. He also had a somewhat darker brown domino mask and a genuine-looking cowboy's hat. His smile shone brightly.

"Woody?" Jessie gasped, stunned. It was amazing how...in-character her brother was, having most of the qualities in a real cowboy; he was brave, cunning, sneaky (in a good way!), and strong. His heart was always in the right place. Always.

Her thoughts, momentarily, were distracted as Bo burst into excited giggles and examined her boyfriend. She, too, was clearly pleased with the way everything was turning out.

"Woody! You are so adorable right now!" she laughed.

"Gee, thanks, Bo. It's nice to know, since that's what you told me _Jessie _looked like..."

"Aw, I'm sorry! Does handsome work?"

"Hah, sure."

"I'm gonna dance with Andy!" Emily said suddenly, running past her best friend to grab the waiting sixteen-year-old and leading him to the dance floor. Jessie couldn't help but smirk; she found "Anily" (as Bonny and Molly had nicknamed the two) something worth "aww"ing about—it basically paired up her best friend and her brother's best friend. How funny was that?

The two seemed entirely in love, too. Of course, Emily would never admit it. She was based on pride and stubbornness altogether. But Andy, it seemed, would be willing to confess that if need it be. He had this_ thing _(for lack of a better word) that simply told Jessie _"I do love Emily and I'm not afraid to say it" _right off the bat. Being the girl that she was, the redhead could easily tell who liked whom, and she had about four years of proof from Andy to make a comfortable conclusion about his feelings. Emily—she was unpredictable. Period.

"Go dance with Bo, Woody, I don't mind," she said as quietly as possible while shouting. A quiet shout. _Hah._

"Jess, I can't just leave you here!"

"I'll be fine! I'm just gonna go with Slink, 'kay?"

Woody had no time to respond, however, as his girlfriend, after giving Jessie a look that said _"Thank you so much," _dragged him onto the neon-lighted crowd for the current song. As she had wanted to do in the beginning, Jessie ran towards the spacious platform holding the D.J. and crept behind her long-time friend, noting that he was doing an amazing job and finding all the right songs for the occasion (whatever it may be). Still, she stood directly behind his dancing form, and, unplugged his black headphones so she could scream _"Boo!"_ at his ear.

Startled, he doubled over, and swiftly spun around. His look of surprise immediately changed to amusement when he saw the girl.

"Yo, Jess!" he hollered as though they were on opposite ends of a football field. True enough, at the rate the stereo behind them was going (the volume, no less, at 110 despite the highest being 100) they might as well be.

"Slink! Watcha playing? Is sounds cool!"

He grinned behind the dog-mask he was wearing. "Forget that, wait till you hear the next one! Oh, get on down there! I'll put it on!" Laughing, he began frantically waving his arms in the direction of the dance floor. "Go!"

Jessie, for once, decided not to protest and, with a fake, longing sigh, jumped off the platform and made her way (hopefully) to her friends. She found them right at the center of the dancing teens, people having made way for them to marvel at their natural talents. She would've too, had she not been grabbed by a hand and yanked out there with all of them. Andy was grinning, tugging her along so that she was dancing with him and Emily.

As Slinky had promised, when the song abruptly ended, he took off his headphones and pulled out a microphone from somewhere underneath the D.J. booth. "Yo, peeps, listen up! I've got a very special song out there for y'all dancers! And here's the catch: it'll be a tango! To start us off, I'd like some volunteers! Who can take the challenge?"

He didn't have to say all that; the moment he mentioned 'tango,' everybody went wild, giggling and tugging at their friend's arms in pure excitement. She heard begging behind her, laughter, and a "heck _no_!" Jessie wasn't interested in doing the Latin dance in front of every single person in the building, so she slowly slid behind her brother and his girlfriend.

Unfortunately for her, she didn't see the satisfied smile on his face. When he shot his hand up, she knew something was wrong.

"Hey! D.J.! I've got a volunteer!"

Before she could question Woody on his new apparent daring, another voice shot through the loud murmurings of the crowd, only adding to her suspicions. "Me, too, Slink!"

"Well, okey-dokey, bring 'em up!" Slinky was practically shaking with laughter, his words coming out in a breathless gasp.

Jessie felt something on her wrist pulling her to the now-empty dance floor. She protested, not even seeing her capturer's face until it was too late and she was the center of attention.

"Emily!" she yelled in frustration and embarrassment.

"Shh!"

"Here's volunteer two!" they heard behind them.

When Jessie spun around, she didn't know what or who she was expecting. She most definitely was not expecting Woody standing there.

She was not expecting to see who was being dragged by him, either.

* * *

"W-Woody! Let go!"

"Here's volunteer two!" The brunette shouted anyway, pushing Buzz in front of him so that they were facing the D.J.

Prior to this, he had tried to get away from the junior with little success; the moment they had turned around a few moments ago to meet up with a few girls, he had fled to the door, only to be pushed back by an unidentified person. So here he was, in the clutches of his crush's brother.

It took a few seconds to register in the blonde's mind that there was already a masked figure awaiting him, standing awkwardly somewhat to his left. He didn't need the mask off to know who it was anyway.

She had an unrealistic air to her.

Her hair was down, loose stands of red, wavy locks falling here and there, a small braid hanging from her right side. She was wearing a white, leather corset on the silky dress, the skirt being dark blue and gracefully brushing a little past her thighs. Her gloves were a rich yellow, sparkling in the almost-endless lights directed only at them, with a matching ribbon tied around her waist and that floated in the air when she moved. But what caught Buzz's attention was her face.

Yes, it was masked. And that was _exactly_ it. It was a black-and-white harlequin mask that curved upwards at the corners. Her eyes (no doubt a soothing green that he could get lost in forever) were completely hidden from view. It was a shame, really, as Buzz would've loved to see them.

In a trance, he moved closer to her. His mind was blank, with the exception of her clouding the only thoughts that did manage to push themselves through. When they were near enough, Buzz could distinctly see the frown on her glossed lips. She seemed to be considering leaving him, and he was not about to make the same mistake again.

With a bow, he offered her his hand and whispered, "Will you dance with me?"

His voice sounded so off, losing all the sharpness and calm, as if a military leader suddenly broke down in front of all his trainees and asked them to lower their voices.

It was probably this, more than anything else, that pushed Jessie into slipping her hand in his and answering with an, "I will."

She knew it was him. She just did.

If she ignored the green, outer space-looking mask that framed his face and accented his already-muscled cheeks, Jessie could just see the blue-green set of orbs staring meaningfully at her. With his white, long-sleeved dress shirt and light-grey slacks, he looked more like the Buzz she had expected when they had first met.

"Oye! Let's mambo! Er—_tango_!"

Then, just as quickly as Slinky's voice echoed through oddly-silent crowd, an upbeat, flowing tune came from the heavy loud-speakers.

And just as quick once more, Jessie was pulled forward on her right hand, causing her to come face-to-face with her hidden Prince Charming, bodies pressing against each other. He intertwined their hands and placed the free one on her waist. She followed suit, except she placed her gloved hand on his shoulder.

For now, all thoughts of hate, mistrust, and confusion were set aside.

She wouldn't have been able to control her feelings any longer.

"Here we go!" Slinky turned all possible volume dials to the highest, some even surpassing the limit in excited force.

Though the music should've deafened her ears, everything that _wasn't_ a certain Buzz was blocked out. When they danced, it was natural and she did not even consider thinking about it. The beat led her through it all.

_Hay un amigo en mi_  
_Hay un amigo en mi_  
_Cuando salgas a volar_  
_Hay un amigo en mi_  
_Si, un amigo en mi_  
_Hay un amigo en mi_

Buzz grinned and spun her, all the while holding her hand tighter and tighter as though it was something he needed to do. An idea came to mind as he did so.

An idea that involved a certain piece of paper he could feel burning in his pocket.

_Hay un amigo en mi_  
_Hay un amigo en mi_  
_Cuando salgas a volar_  
_Hay un amigo en mi_  
_Si, un amigo en mi_  
_Hay un amigo en mi_

"Jessie..." he murmured, looking fully at her. She didn't hear him, but she as good as did; she saw his mouth movement. It was amazing how her heartbeat managed to overcome the sounds of the music and cheering around them. She smiled in response.

They were still dancing…

_Hay muchos que pueden ser_  
_Un poco más listos_  
_Mas nunca habrá quien pueda ser_  
_Un amigo fiel_  
_Que tú lo sabes_

"I..."

_Los años pasarán_  
_Lo nuestro no morirá_  
_Lo vas a ver, mejor tener_  
_Un buen amigo en mí_  
_Hay un amigo en mí_  
_Un buen amigo en mí_  
_Hay un amigo en mí_

"...love you..."

_Hay un amigo en mí~!_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Author's Notes: We're at the end!**

_Ages:_

_Buzz, Jessie, Slinky - 16_

**

* * *

**

_"I love you."_

* * *

Jessie sat, watching, on some weird metal box. She had no idea what it was called or what it _was, _except the fact that it might have something to do with the air/ventilation system. Right now, she was content on just sitting and observing the pretty stars above. The air was breezy, but not cold. Everything else was completely silent.

She glanced down.

The view was absolutely breathtaking. She had never sat on the rooftop of the (apparently) highest building in her neighborhood before, so the experience was relatively new. She enjoyed it, sighing blissfully.

She felt as though she was on top of the world!

_Literally_, as she could see almost every building and house in the small town in minuscule sizes. The sun had just set, so the lights from the residences and cars illuminated the whole scene.

"...it's beautiful," she murmured, clasping her hands softly together.

"It is," replied the person sitting next to her, moving his arm around her shoulder. He was staring dreamily at her pretty, currently-unmasked face.

Jessie looked up and smirked when she made eye-contact. "You have no idea how _clichéd_ that was, Buzzy."

The blonde shrugged, but smiled thoughtfully. "You know it's true."

"Mmm..." The girl rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

It was silent again, despite the loud heartbeats from the young couple. They were both lost in thought, and each one concerning the other.

"...does this mean you'll allow me to court you?" Buzz said finally, trying his best to sound calm. His blushing face wasn't helping any.

Jessie could only giggle; Buzz was just so adorable with his_ old-fashioned _words! "Yeah, I guess I could give you permission..."

"Oh. Uh, that's—er—great, thank you."

The silence that followed was an awkward one, as both teenagers were red-faced and new to this especially strong feeling. Though both had had previous relationships, the emotions overwhelming them were nothing they've ever felt. Was this true _love_?

"So, we boyfriend and girlfriend?" Jessie learned the hard way that boys were not good with hinting; if you wanted to know something, just bluntly asking saved you a load of trouble and headaches. It was _much_ more convenient.

"Huh? Oh, uhm...yes, if you'd prefer to put in those terms, then yes. We are boyfriend and girlfriend." Buzz couldn't stop beaming. After weeks after weeks of confusion, hurt, and heartache, he would finally be together with the pretty girl he had first befriended at the new school, Sunside High.

"Hmph...well, cool." Jessie frowned. Wasn't he going to seal the deal?

"Yes, cool..." Buzz fidgeted uncomfortably. Now what? Would he have permission to—

"Buzz? Look at me."

He blinked, but obliged. When he glanced down, he immediately got lost in her sparkly, bright eyes that had always captured him. She had a meaningful look, with her lips parted slightly, as she stared into his own eyes, lost as well.

And he knew.

Instinctively, simultaneously, they both leaned forward ever so slightly until their lips met for the first time.

It was the kiss that Jessie had always dreamed of.

It was the kiss that she had wanted the day Buzz had dropped by her house, looking for her to apologize, but instead almost kissed her.

Back then, they had been rudely interrupted by a certain Bullseye.

Now? She was getting her first real kiss, from the first guy she had ever considered actually loving.

Did that not count for something?

_'Buzz is a good kisser,'_ she thought, eyes closed.

The moment was truly perfection.

Nothing could ruin it.

_**Slam!**_

"Hey, guys, there you are! I was looking for Buzz and—dude, wouldn't you rather do that on the sofa?"

_"Slinky!" _After the initial shock of being caught, both Buzz and Jessie sprang up, embarrassed.

"I didn't think you'd actually take it that far," Slinky muttered, blowing some of his brown hair out of his face. Although he had only recently grown out of his baby-like features, Slinky already resembled the handsome young man he would soon become. While most girls fell for him and constantly followed him around the school, he only had had his dark brown eyes for his best-girl-friend, Jessie. Unfortunately, she was completely oblivious, and only now would he pay the price of not plucking up his courage to confess in the long time they had known each other.

"If you had an idea that we might've been kissing, why did you check on us anyway?" Jessie inwardly sighed; here was one of the most perfect moments of her life, wasted, just because they could not find a more private place.

"C'mon, man, I just came here to give Buzz back his hat." With that said, Slinky produced a familiar red cowgirl's hat, frowning. "No offense, dude, but this looks like a girl's thing."

Jessie's eyes widened. The hat! The Jane's Hat! She had wanted that for a long time! That was the reason she had started working in the first place!

"Oh." Buzz coughed nervously, walking over to the brunette. He held his hand out and Slinky placed the item on his palm. "Thanks," the blonde whispered, "can we have some privacy please?"

Slinky nodded, his heart falling somewhat. _'Oh__, well, it can't be helped.'_ "Yeah, see you two."

He smiled sadly at his long-time friend, hoping that those green eyes would stare longingly at _him _instead, before turning and leaving. The door opened and shut with a soft _clink_.

"Uhm, Mis—er, Jessie, I wanted t-to give you this." Sheepishly, Buzz offered her the hat, trying hard to remain eye-contact.

By now, Jessie could not hold her surprise. "What? Really? Oh, Buzz! You really didn't have to!" A part of her mind screamed and wailed for her to just reach out and touch the fine leather, but the more polite and serious side reprimanded her for even considering doing so. _'The price tag,'_ it reminded. "Oh, but, Buzz, this costs so much!" Five grand, to be exact.

Buzz shrugged, smiling. "It's fine, I promise. You have to forgive me, Jessie, but I have several years of courting to make up for, and this is the best way to begin."

Jessie shook her head. "No, no, that's silly! This is high school! You only have to take me on dates and stuff! Y'know, movies, Wheezy's, a five-dollar stuffed animal is fine! I don't need antique hats to make me happy! If it's from you, I don't really care!"

When Jessie realized just what she said, she looked away, face flushed. _'Ah, damn it...'_

Only her new boyfriend's chuckling forced her to lift her head up and peek at his face._ 'What I do?' _she thought.

"Oh, dear Jessie, money is truly not a problem for me! My father always reminds me that courting a lady means saving no expenses whatsoever on gifts for her. In fact, that was what he did when he was my age for my mother. They got married in high school, you see, for the marriage was permitted."

"R-really? Wow, how come I've never seen your mom?"

"Ah, about that. She died a few days after I was born, at around eighteen, I think. My parents were only married for four years." And giving the two-year age difference, Zurg Lightyear had been twenty when he had his son and sixteen when he married.

It was different where he came from, wealthy background and all.

"Oh...I'm...so sorry..." Jessie instinctively wrapped her arms around Buzz, holding him close. He didn't seem remotely upset about the ordeal, but she had always had a soft spot for the early death of parents. _Now _she was sure that they truly were alike in many ways.

Buzz seemed generally surprised, however, but did not complain either way. Seizing his opportunity, he placed the Jane's Hat on his girlfriend's head.

Jessie pulled away, eyebrows raised. "Wha—?"

Buzz could only grin. "It's yours, Jess."

And so he put his hands on her waist and kissed her again, his most favorite cowgirl, Jessie.


	18. Chapter 18

_Dear Mom and Dad,_

_How are you both? Don't worry; I'm sure you're well and happy, just like the past years. To be quite honest, Jessie and I are happy, too. It's weird, being this blissful and content after all the struggles we had to suffer ever since **that **day. But, no matter, we pulled through._

_I've never seen Jess like this before; it's as if each day is a new experience to see the world for the first time. She acts as though she's never woken up to sunlight before. Then again, I know why._

_She's finally found a Prince Charming, Dad. Really. I agree one-hundred percent! You know I take good care of her and that I wouldn't just let her date any random guy, but I'm pretty sure Buzz Lightyear is a keeper. He's old-fashioned, so I can pretty much guarantee he isn't going to take advantage of her or anything. Jessie even told me that ever since that **incident**, she'd never considered finding a steady boyfriend or anything before. _

_She was too unresponsive. But, well, look at her now._

_Plus, I've met his father, butler, and uncle, and they seem pretty good-natured to me, too._

_Oh, another fun fact: Buzz's butler is Emily's uncle. Emily is Jessie's best friend, and we're as good as family, too. I think you remember Andy; wasn't it Mom who introduced us in the first place? Well, he and Emily are seeing each other now, so it's always fun to see them happy like that. They're in love, that's for sure._

_We've all found someone._

_Did you know my girlfriend is the Student Body President at school named Bo? I've liked her for so long. I didn't think she'd like me back as well. When we get older, I might marry her if she'll consent to it. College is right around the corner for me and her! Besides, we're both eighteen next week._

_Speaking of marriage, and don't get mad at me here, Buzz recently asked me if he could have Jessie's hand! For a sixteen-year-old, that guy sure is mature. How the heck did he consider that when I barely thought of marrying myself? Ah, well, like I said, old-fashioned. I probably will agree to it; but I told him to wait a few years before I could give a good answer._

_Heh. He said he'd wait forever. Yup, your daughter attracts the most interesting people._

_Oh, and Jessie really **is** like a cowgirl these days (remember when she used to say that she wanted to be a professional cowgirl when she grew older?). Not only because of this expensive leather cowgirl hat Buzz had bought her (that was really amazing!) She gave up wrestling and fist-fights for horseback riding and art. Her inner girl is showing, and it only took fourteen years! (The last two years have been transitional.)_

_We have a dog named Bullseye, too. I keep on forgetting just how big he's gotten. I'm pretty sure he's taller than me now, but don't worry, he's very friendly. I remember it's Buzz to thank for that. Oh, how much do we owe that boy._

_It's getting pretty late now. I can hear Jessie and Buzz talking about stars outside on the porch._

_Did you know? When a star reaches the end of its life, it goes super nova. One massive explosion that takes forever to be noticed. But I think, in this world, the end of your life marks a new beginning instead._

_For me and Jessie, our lives did end in a way, after you had to leave._

_Yet they changed for the best._

_It was a better and brighter new beginning, although do we miss you two terribly._

_I guess you could say it was our own kind of super nova._

_And Jessie remains the brightest star there is._

_Love from Woody_

**_The End_**

**_

* * *

_**

**Author's Last Notes: Phew! That took forever! I can't believe I finished this. I mean, I wasn't even expecting this to take so long. WOW.**

**Thanks to all my readers! I wouldn't have wrote Super Nova if it wasn't for you guys! Love ya all!**

**I hope you guys review and tell me how the ending went. Pretty cliched, huh? I think I might make a sequel of one-shots about this universe, but I need feedback on that. What do you think?**

**Also, thanks for everyone who ignored my many mistakes and errors...heheheh. Sorry 'bout that.**

**Again, thank you! Make your wish on that star that will never go super nova!**


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